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After 18 Years of the Red Bull Experience, Horner Snubs It All as Max Verstappen & Sergio Perez Take the Crown

Published 12/20/2022, 5:00 PM EST

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via Reuters

Since their first race, as constructors, in Australia in 2005, Red Bull has seen many glorious years. The Milton-Keynes-based outfit had its best years between 2010 and 2013. They won the drivers’ and the constructors’ championship in each of those years with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber behind the wheel. However, all it took to forget about it all was Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez’s unmatched feat in 2022.

After Max Verstappen’s 2021 drivers’ championship-winning campaign, Red Bull did not start the 2022 season as they would have liked to. They suffered 3 DNFs in the first three races as the car faced reliability and weight issues. Taking full advantage of the situation, Ferrari took home 2 wins from those three races through Charles Leclerc. However, once the Austrian team pulled up their socks, there was no looking back.

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Christian Horner reserves the highest praise for Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez

Red Bull came back to their usual self once their engineers under Adrian Newey’s guidance dealt with the car’s overweight issues. The car was blistering fast and had everything they needed to win races. Their drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez made the most of the opportunity, winning 17 races from 22 fixtures. While Max won 15 of those, Checo’s contribution was immense as well. The Mexican driver contributed 305 points to the team’s total of 759.

via Reuters

Looking back at the record-breaking season, RBR team principal for 18 years,  Christian Horner dubbed the duo as Red Bull’s best-ever pairing. In a video posted by Oracle Red Bull Racing, Horner said, Love that you guys have been fantastic this year and the way you’ve both raced has been amazing. I think, for me, it’s the best team we’ve ever had. I think technically, with the way you guys have worked, for me, compared to all the years we’ve done, we’ve never had it this good.”

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While Horner praised his two drivers for Red Bull’s recent success, Checo thanked the team’s every member. In a wholesome gesture, Perez acknowledged Red Bull’s employees’ contribution to the team’s success.

Sergio Perez’s special gift for Red Bull employees

Finishing the season on a career-high, Sergio Perez gifted each Red Bull employee a bottle of tequila. Each employee got the bottle from Patron, a brand Checo is a part of. Each gift also carried a special note from Perez.

via Reuters

“Thank you for all of your hard work and support this season,” the note read. “I’m so proud to be part of the Red Bull family. Wishing you a wonderful holiday.”

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“Enclosed, please enjoy a bottle of the number one super premium tequila in the world, Patron tequila.”

“Looking forward to next season. Salud! Checo Perez.”

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Watch This Story: How a Euphoric Sergio Perez Hilariously Leaked His Red Bull Contract Announcement at Monaco

Do you think Max and Checo are Red Bull’s best-ever duo? Or did Horner forget Vettel and Webber’s 4 dominant years too easily?

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Written by:

Nischay Rathore

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Nischay Rathore is a Formula 1 Author at EssentiallySports. Being a law graduate, he has worked at the Supreme Court of India as well as the High Court of Delhi. However, due to his adherent love for sports, he has now set out to start his journey into the world of Sports Journalism.
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Edited by:

Ranvijay Singh