"I was always a big fan of Manchester United": Red Bull boss compares Adrian Newey’s 'evolution' to 20x English Premier League champions

In a recent interview with Autosport, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner compared the team's technical officer Adrian Newey's ‘evolution’ to that of Premier League giants Manchester United.

The Austrian outfit has experienced humongous success in recent seasons. The team has won back-to-back Constructors' Championships in 2022 and 2023, whereas its star driver Max Verstappen is on a three-season Drivers' Championship-winning streak.

The team's most recent success in 2023 was enormous, where it won the Constructors' Championship by a colossal 451-point margin, winning 21 out of 22 races. Notably, Adrian Newey, the mastermind behind Red Bull's 2023 vehicle, the RB19, was one of the key factors towards the team's success.

However, Christian Horner drew an intriguing comparison between his team, Adrian Newey and Manchester United. Recently speaking to Autosport, the 50-year-old acknowledged Newey's role in the team's achievements. He said:

"Adrian is a big part of this team and big part of what we've achieved. But of course, his role has evolved over the last few years and the technical team beneath him led by Pierre Wache, they're doing a wonderful job and so that they're not reliant on Adrian."

He added:

"He has the ability to come in, come out and work on other projects and I think that's part of the evolution of any team."

However, referring to the era when the influential Eric Cantona departed, Horner drew parallels to Red Bull's approach of not solely depending on Newey's brilliance. He said:

"I was always a big fan of Manchester United, not as a Man United fan, but of Alex Ferguson, they had [Eric] Cantona and then they just evolved."

Horner emphasized that while Adrian Newey remains a significant asset to the team, the rest of the technical team continues to evolve. He stated:

"Red Bull is a team that, we're stronger for having Adrian with us, but of course the rest of the team is evolving."

Christian Horner received multiple offers to leave Red Bull

In the same interview, the Brit also disclosed that he had received multiple offers from other Formula 1 teams. He revealed:

"It's always very flattering when you receive an offer or interest from another team, but my heart is here."

Despite interest from other teams, Horner pledged his loyalty to his current team. He said:

"I've built the team, I bought in from the very beginning, I feel a responsibility to the people and the shareholders and all the partners that we have."

Beyond his commitment to Red Bull, Christian Horner recently received a prestigious honor as part of King Charles III's New Year Honours list. The team principal was elevated to the status of commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).