Horner after victorious Austrian GP: 'Just sensational'

Published on 02 July 2023 by Niels Hendrix

Christian Horner, Oracle Red Bull Racing team principle, says after the victorious Austrian GP: “It has been an incredible day for the team today and a fantastic weekend as a whole. Max is obviously on exceptional form, taking qualifying, the sprint race and now the Grand Prix is just sensational.”

“Obviously we took a different strategy to that of our competitors, meaning he had to make the overtakes on track which led to some fantastic watching and a stunning weekend for Max. We decided to go for the fastest lap on the last lap despite the risk involved in an additional pitstop , but Dietrich’s mantra was always ‘no risk, no fun’, and the mechanics have been in such incredible form that it felt relatively low risk.”

“This is our best run of in-season results since 2013. The team is operating at a level not seen in our 19 year history and we’re grateful for every victory we achieve. Results like today are the work of every single department. It’s not just about the race team, it’s the activity that goes on behind the scenes back at the factory, from operations, manufacturing, research and development, aerodynamics, to our support functions in finance, marketing, legal and HR. All of these need to come together and work as a team, and this is where we are so strong.”

“This is the first time we’ve been back at the Red Bull Ring since Dietrich’s passing. It felt very poignant to put in such a great team performance today. Whilst not here in person, you feel his presence everywhere, his passion and spirit are the reason we’re all here today and we owe him so much. This one’s for Dietrich.”