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Days After Elon Musk’s Wacky Proposal, Christian Horner Undermines Electric Racing With a Hilarious Analogy: “Not exciting”

Published 05/15/2023, 6:45 AM EDT

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via Imago

People were left stunned when one of the richest men on the planet, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, was spotted in the Red Bull garage at the Miami GP. It was shocking because Musk had ditched his longtime friend, Lewis Hamilton, and temporarily joined forces with his rival. In that meeting with Christian Horner, Max Verstappen, and Sergio Perez, a whacky proposal was reported by Elon Musk himself. He tweeted- “Fun discussion of aero and battery technology. I proposed a pure EV vs gas/hybrid F1 race.” 

Several opinions about this proposal came to light then. Many fans suggested to Musk that Formula E exists, and a crossover could hurt the growth of either of the championships. However, until now, Red Bull boss Christian Horner hadn’t said anything. But recently, breaking his silence over the proposal, he spilled some beans about his meeting with Musk while slamming the electric racing.

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In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Horner shed light on the proposal while slamming down electric racing. As quoted by Soy Motor, he said by making an analogy, “Races without combustion engines lose their appeal. Watching electric cars run is not exciting, it would be like going to a rock or pop concert without volume. You need to have an element of excitement and entertainment and at the same time, you have to continue discovering new technologies to apply them together with the 2026 sustainable fuel.”

Christian Horner also lent a hand of support to the demands of F1 fans to bring more noise to the engine. He emphasized that sound formed an integral part of Formula 1’s energy, and the cars’ speed often astonished spectators attending races, as sound plays a pivotal role in shaping this experience.

Christian Horner fights for F1 supremacy against Elon Musk

Elon Musk and Tesla brought a revolution to the world of EVs. High speeds and acceleration became synonymous with the brand’s cars. Hence, the proposal for a competition came from his side. To this, Horner had a different view as he batted for the F1’s supremacy against the pioneer of EV himself.

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via Imago

Revealing the details of the talks and appreciating Elon Musk for his acumen, Horner was quoted by GP Fans as saying, “I think he was very impressed with the technology, obviously an incredibly bright guy, wanted to know all about the battery and so on, and the power and the output of the car.”

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“Then he threw down the gauntlet of wanting to race us with one of his electrical vehicles, but then realised that they could only do half the race…,” he added in another scathing attack on electric racing.

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WATCH THIS STORY: What was the Sky Sports F1 Boycott by Max Verstappen & Red Bull?

The talks about Formula 1 vs. Formula E have never reached an official meeting. And the chances of that happening are negligible as the two continue to fight for the audience’s attention.

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Written by:

Manan Goel

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Manan Goel is an F1 writer at EssentiallySports, who graduated in literature from the University of Delhi before discovering his passion for the world of Formula 1. With over 400 published articles, his writing reflects his in-depth knowledge of the sport and his ability to provide unique insights. Manan's passion for F1 began when he first saw Sebastian Vettel's exhilarating drives with Red Bull.
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Edited by:

Varunkumaar Chelladurai