Red Bull top man on how Horner and Newey set them apart from competitors
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Red Bull Racing has more than proven itself as a top team in Formula 1 over the past 15 years. According to technical director Pierre Wache, the basis of this success lies in a unique mental approach, where both risks and setbacks are welcomed with open arms. In Wache's view, Christian Horner and Adrian Newey are the ones who created the culture in which racing is at the heart of the operations.
"We are a racing team, not a company," is the credo within Red Bull Racing, according to the Frenchman's words quoted by Motorsport-Magazin. This philosophy is shared by everyone within the team. "We are not happy when we win, but we are unhappy when we lose. That's a difference." While other teams might celebrate extensively after a win, Red Bull remains focused on the bigger picture. "It's nice to win, but what really drives us is the hunger to improve and learn from mistakes."
This attitude goes hand in hand with a strong team spirit. "In this team, blame is never placed on the team. Christian protects us to the outside world. You will never hear him say that the team did a bad job because we were not in pole position, for example. He creates a safe environment where we solve problems internally," he says.
Risk-taking is in Red Bull Racing's DNA. Whether it is innovative designs or strategies, the team invariably takes an aggressive approach. "The reason we can take so many risks lies in two things: the protection of Christian and the mentality of the company. We are here to take risks. This team takes more risk than any other team."
Learning from mistakes
Besides taking risks, the Milton Keynes-based formation also accepts that setbacks are a part of success. "When you're in a difficult phase, it's about how you move on," argues Wache. "This team has the mindset to accept defeats and learn from them. That mindset makes us come back stronger."
The way Christian Horner protects the team from external pressure plays a key role in this. "Even when we make mistakes, we know we can do better. That calm environment allows us to fully focus on solving problems and improving our performance," concludes the 50-year-old leader.
This article was written in collaboration with Norberto Mujica
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