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via Imago

via Imago

If Red Bull is sailing over its rivals today, there is one person who should be given credit for its success, and that is unquestionably Christian Horner. Since the team’s establishment in 2005, Horner has led it with enthusiasm and vigor. A few days ago, he and his team reached a century-milestone at a circuit in North America where the squad completed 100 wins. However, despite having aggressive traits, Horner once masked his manhood by donning a Superman outfit, and this was only done as a result of losing a crazy bet.

The F1 circus arrived at the Monaco Grand Prix in 2006, the second season Christian served as a team boss. Until that point, the Red Bull drivers had not been able to place in the top 10, but a few words from the Brundle will ruin Horner’s life for the ensuing few hours. What happened then? In a lighthearted tone lately, Horner discussed a hilarious incident on the Red Bull website, saying that Brundle had predicted Coulthard would finish on the podium that day. While explaining Horner said, ” He told me that David was still strong in Monaco and that a podium was possible.”

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Horner was completely unaware that it was a trap. The Briton, who wasn’t convinced by Brundle’s words, made the decision to place a wager with him. The wager stipulated Horner would dive into the Red Bull Energy Station pool while being naked if Coulthard was placed on the podium. Unfortunately for Horner, the Scottish driver had a fantastic day and timed every maneuver to absolute perfection, earning him a last podium slot that day. When reflecting on that time, Horner said that the bet had to be met.

While wrapping up the conversation Horner said that a Superman cap by Coulthard eventually saved his masculine traits, “I had forgotten about this stupid bet. When David crosses the line, his adviser tells me it’s going to cost me a jump and they can’t wait to see me undress. I thought I could get away with it if I did it at night (…), but all the media were around the pool. Luckily, David was compassionate and gave me his Superman cape to hide my masculine attributes.”

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A man with Christian Horner’s skill set would be best suited to this aggressive sport. However, Horner made the decision to lead the team that emerged from the ruins of Jaguar at a very young age. So why did the Briton disconnect himself from the thing he loves the most?

Why did Christian Horner disconnect himself from racing?

Christian Horner possesses all the qualities that a racing driver should have, including an aggressive demeanor, a competitive spirit, and an understanding of the extremities. So it’s quite difficult to understand how a man who spent years competing in international Formula 3000 with Arden International can still refuse to regulate his passion to the maximum potential.

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via Reuters

Horner left racing in 1998  and officially took over as Red Bull’s team manager in 2005 after enjoying success with Arden at junior levels in the management role. Let’s hear it from the man himself what was the reason behind him leaving the thing he loves the most? While talking to Financial Times, Horner explained why he didn’t want to compete at the highest level.

He quoted, “ I stopped because I got as high as Formula 2 but I recognized that as the cars get more powerful you realise the risk that’s involved. Having the ability to disconnect your head from your heart is sometimes quite difficult and I wasn’t prepared to take the risks.  There was a self-preservation that kicked in and said ‘this is stupid’ so I knew at that point it was time to stop.”

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With six driver and five constructor championships to his credit, Horner is presently the longest-tenured team boss. His life story demonstrates to us the value of making the right choice at the right time. As a team manager, what would you grade Horner on a scale of 1 to 10?

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