Not Verstappen or Vettel! Horner Names the Biggest Signing in Red Bull’s F1 history

Red Bull Racing are yet again shaping up to be one the most threatening teams this season, thanks to Max Verstappen, who is stacking more and more pressure on the F1 rivals. What’s more, the Dutchman is on course to claim his first championship title, and consequently establish Red Bull’s return to reign.

And prior to Verstappen’s dominance, there was Sebastian Vettel, who held the throne for a solid 4 seasons, before switching to Ferrari.

Amidst such talented drivers residing in the history of the team, Christian Horner, Red Bull’s boss, revealed the key signing that shot up the entire Milton Keynes outfit to glory. Surprisingly, it isn’t Verstappen or Vettel.

Horner reveals Red Bull’s biggest signing

During a podcast, Horner opened up that Adrian Newey is the most important member of Red Bull. And why wouldn’t he be? The Briton was one of the biggest reasons for the 4 championship titles that Vettel managed to secure between 2010 and 2013.

“By far the biggest was obviously Adrian. And you know, Adrian’s impact on the team has been immense. You know, we weren’t ready for Adrian. When Adrian joined, I don’t think we realized what he signed up to,” Horner said while featuring in the ‘Beyond the Grid‘ podcast.

Formula One F1 – Steiermark Grand Prix – Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Styria, Austria – June 27, 2021 Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in action during the race REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Red Bull signed Newey ahead of the 2006 season, but the Briton failed to make much impact with his designs. However, the 2009 season proved to be Red Bull’s biggest turning point of their F1 campaign.

Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel joined forces to guide the team to a P2 finish on the constructor’s table after Newey did his job behind the scenes.

Coulthard attracted Adrian Newey: Red Bull F1 boss

Horner reckoned that Red Bull’s signing of Newey forced the other F1 teams to start taking them seriously. And the one who initially played a vital role in roping in the designer was apparently David Coulthard.

Formula One F1 – Steiermark Grand Prix – Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Styria, Austria – June 26, 2021 Red Bull’s Max Verstappen after qualifying in pole position Pool via REUTERS/Darko Vojinovic

“But, you know, DC played an important role in attracting Adrian to come and join the team. And that was the key moment because I think people started to take us seriously,” Horner said. “And off the back of that, we were able to attract other key talents, who still remain with us today.”

Overall, after over 7 years of wait, Red Bull are back on top. And their dominance feels like deja vu, carrying the fans back to the phase when Vettel wreaked havoc over the entire grid with his mind-blowing consistency at the top. So, with a similar scenario unfolding, can Verstappen reciprocate a similar success this season?

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