Horner defends actions Red Bull: 'That's what successful teams do'

Christian Horner said he saw a witch-hunt against Red Bull Racing in 2022. Speaking to Motorsport.com Horner says his team became the target of a political game this year, which at times made things very difficult for the team.

2022 was an incredibly successful year for Red Bull with a double title win and an absolutely unbeatable Max Verstappen. Yet much of the year was dominated by something much less positive: the violation of the 2021 budget cap. The FIA ruled that Red Bull had not complied with those rules and so a penalty of a fine and less testing time in the wind tunnel for 2023 followed.

Some teams criticised that the penalty was too lenient but the FIA reiterated this week that the penalty was appropriate for the offence. In particular, Zak Brown and Toto Wolff said they would have preferred heavier measures. Even prior to the final verdict, there was much speculation around what would be an appropriate punishment for the team. Rumours ranged from a warning and small fine to taking away Verstappen's 2021 title.

'That's what teams do if they want to be successful'

In his recent reflection, Horner called the criticism from team bosses and other Formula 1 figures a political attack on Red Bull.

"We are a racing team, not a political organisation," Horner said. "We are focused on racing and we are tough competitors, we push the limits, and that is what teams do if they want to be successful. Unfortunately, this year that was difficult at times."