Christian Horner, Red Bull team boss, expressed his joy after breaking Mercedes stranglehold on the Formula 1 Constructors’ Title after collecting his team’s trophy on Friday.
The FIA held their annual Prize Giving Ceremony at the Fiera di Bologna in the heart of Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region on Friday, in which they honoured the champions over all the motorsport categories they govern.
Red Bull were represented at the gala with Christian Horner, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in attendance to receive the 2022 Constructors’ Championship trophy, the Drivers’ Championship trophy, and the third place Drivers’ trophy respectively.
Red Bull have managed to win their first Constructors’ Title since 2013, after eight years of Mercedes dominance, and Christian Horner was over the moon.
He said: “For nine years there was only one manufacturer on this trophy. It’s been the most incredible year for the team. We’ve broken every record of our own. Tonight I’d like to dedicate this one to Dietrich Mateschitz.”
It was not smooth sailing for the Milton Keynes outfit, as in addition to suffering the loss of their founder, Mateschitz, they were found in breach of the 2021 F1 cost cap and were fined $7-Million for that, in addition to a reduction in wind tunnel time.
Red Bull will have to pay more money to compete in F1 in 2023, as the Sporting Regulations stipulate that a team has to pay an entry fee of $617,687, in addition to $7,411 for each point scored in 2022 – Red Bull scored 759 points.
Horner joked about about the hefty $6.24-Million Red Bull have to pay to go racing in 2023, ahead of the prize giving gala on Friday.
Quoted by Reuters, he said: “I didn’t realise how much we had to pay the FIA for the points. I got the bill the other day, it was incredible.
Verstappen thinks his second Title better than his first
Verstappen received his second F1 Drivers’ Championship Trophy on the trot, after a dominant 2022 season where he won a record breaking 15 races, after finishing off the season in style with a dominant win at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“Your whole life you aim for the goal of being a World Champion,” he said. “But this year we were more competitive and we won the Drivers’ and the Constructors’, so I would say this one is better than last year and more rewarding, but the first one is always more emotional.”
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said in an FIA statement: “It is an honour that this 2022 edition, my first as FIA President, takes place in Bologna, at the heart of ‘Motor Valley’. It is a city and a region rich in motor sport and automotive history. My warmest thanks to the Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI), Regione Emilia-Romagna and the Italian Trade Agency for hosting us, and to our partners for their support.
“Tonight, we honour the stars of our sport – our World Champions, and I would also like to thank all the manufacturers, teams and promoters who provide such strong support. Most of all, I would like to thank the thousands of volunteers and marshals who freely dedicate their time to ensure the safety and success of events all over the world.
“This year we have taken significant steps forward on regulations and advanced technology, with the debut of the hybrid-powered Rally 1 category in WRC, a second successful year of the Hypercar category in the FIA World Endurance Championship, the dawn of the electric Rallycross era, the launch of the Formula E Gen3 car and approval by the FIA World Motor Sport Council of the 2026 F1 Power Unit Regulations.
“Across the entire FIA motor sport portfolio, we are promoting environmental sustainability – towards our goal of net-zero by 2030,” Ben Sulayem concluded.