Red Bull’s principal, Christian Horner, fulfilled his dream of driving one of the team’s cars by taking the 2012 RB8 for a spin at Silverstone on Thursday.
Horner mentioned that Sebastian Vettel was initially set to drive but was unavailable due to a family vacation, prompting him to step in and handle the task.
Prior to his management role, Horner started his motorsport career as a Formula 3000 driver, although with limited success. By 2005, he was leading the Red Bull team, overseeing Vettel’s four championship wins, including the 2012 championship. He also drove the RB7 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
“It was a fun experience. It was my first time driving a Red Bull F1 car with a hand clutch and two pedals,” he shared with the media at Goodwood.
“Sebastian Vettel was supposed to drive here but he couldn’t make it, so the team suggested I take the wheel,” Horner explained. “I hadn’t driven a single-seater since 1998 or an F1 car since 1993,” he added, recalling his previous experience in a Lotus car sponsored by Lawrence Stroll (current owner of Aston Martin).
“It was a great honor to drive this amazing championship-winning F1 car,” Horner stated. “The speed and aero effects of these cars are mind-blowing.”
“The cars are incredibly quick and the aerodynamics play a huge role,” Horner remarked. “The braking force was intense, and it was a thrilling experience.”
“I enjoyed it so much that I ended up missing the pit lane and took an extra lap,” he admitted, a move that might typically earn a driver a reprimand from their superiors.
“I will be filling in for Sebastian here at Goodwood,” Horner added, making him Max Verstappen’s temporary “teammate” for the weekend event.
Sergio Perez will also be present to entertain fans at the motor sport festival in Britain. Following Perez’s difficulties at the previous British GP, Horner deemed the situation “unsustainable.”
Despite having backup drivers like Yuki Tsunoda, Daniel Ricciardo, and Liam Lawson on standby, Horner does not seem inclined towards any long-term changes in the driver lineup.
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