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Christian Danner on Horner's position as CEO of two teams in F1

'Horner leads two teams, and he calls the shots at VCARB'

26 September at 14:00
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  • Matt Gretton
  • Editor-in-Chief

Former Formula 1 driver Christian Danner suggests that Visa Cash App RB and Red Bull Racing's partnership is not in the spirit of F1 but has admitted he would do the same thing if he were in their position. He also suggests that Christian Horner calls the shots for both teams.

The topic has resurfaced after Daniel Ricciardo pitted for soft tyres in the closing stages of the Singapore Grand Prix. The VCARB driver took the fastest lap away from Lando Norris and, therefore, helped Red Bull driver Max Verstappen in his World Championship battle. It meant he has a gap of 52 points, rather than 51 points. Ricciardo did not get the bonus point himself because he finished outside the top ten. Christian Danner, a former Formula 1 driver himself, understands why things turned out the way they did.

"You can't blame anyone. I would have done the same as a team boss. Christian Horner is paid to do as well as possible for his team," Danner told German outlet Motorsport-Magazin.com. So the German analyst fully understands the choice, although he acknowledges that such situations do raise some questions. McLaren's team boss Andrea Stella did not directly accuse Red Bull of foul play, but did say the situation needed to be addressed.

Red Bull owns two teams in Formula 1 and - rightly or wrongly - competitors will immediately point to this in such cases. "That will be closely monitored [by the FIA], because it is effectively one-and-a-half teams against one," Danner added. "That is not in the spirit of the sport or the rules of the sport."

'Horner leads both teams'

The driver, who started 36 Grands Prix, believes that the governing body needs to start properly investigating how it works as Red Bull's CEO, Horner is therefore, on paper, kind of the boss of two teams. Peter Bayer is actually the CEO of Visa Cash App RB, but he too has to answer to Horner and Red Bull.

"After the departure of Franz Tost, who was a personality in his own right, we now have Horner, who is in charge of both teams. With [Peter] Bayer and Laurent Mekies, you have two people leading the team, but it is Horner who calls the shots. That's not right! The bigger picture needs to be reviewed," Danner concluded.

This article has been created in collaboration with Corwin Kunst