Horner: 'Verstappen title gave Red Bull a sense of vindication'

After an eventful season that had its share of controversial moments between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, it was Verstappen who ultimately triumphed. For Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner, the title gave a sense of vindication after Mercedes' long domination.

For the first time since the introduction of the hybrid era, Mercedes was not supreme. This caused tensions between the German team and Red Bull Racing, resulting in a number of controversial events.

That dominance was broken after the much-discussed 2021 Formula One season and it gave the Red Bull team boss a sense of vindication. "We were the last team to win a championship before Mercedes and we are the first team to break that dominance of Mercedes," Horner said in conversation with GQ Magazine. So when the opportunity arose, Red Bull grabbed it with both hands.

Unlike last year, this year's battle for the world title seems to be between Red Bull Racing and Ferrari. However, the Austrian team has some catching up to do before that. Horner emphasizes that Ferrari has things well in hand, helped by the fact that they were able to focus on 2022 earlier than the competition.

"They have obviously put a lot of effort into this car early on and they will be very hard to beat this year," Horner continues. He adds that Mercedes will also get their act together at some point and therefore expects a spectacular season, where multiple cars and drivers can vie for victories.