“I’ve known Christian for 25, 30 years. We’ve raced against each other“, said Zak Brown while talking about his Red Bull counterpart. The McLaren leader has previously gone up against Horner on the race track, and now, they are facing each other in a completely different setting. While Christian Horner‘s team is the leader in the Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship, Brown’s team is only 42 points behind. Thus, Red Bull and McLaren have emerged as the top two squads vying for the Constructors’ title in 2024. But even off of the race tracks, the bosses of these two teams have taken digs at each other.

Christian Horner’s Red Bull has been a part of several controversies in the past. It started right when Max Verstappen led the team to its first taste of victory after a long period of Mercedes’ dominance in 2021. That year, the FIA had imposed a cost cap that all teams needed to stick to while spending their resources on all operations. Red Bull had surpassed that sum and had to pay a hefty penalty for the offense. So, Zak Brown had been critical of the team for such a rule break. And now, he has once again voiced his concerns about where Horner might be going wrong with the Austrian outfit.

Zak Brown has mentioned his distaste for Red Bull ever since the team misrepresented its expenditures to escape the FIA’s eyes. In fact, if an audit was not done, no one would have found out how RBR grossly went over the cost cap. Brown said to Formule1, “I believe in raising your hand when you do something wrong. The cost cap, the excuses behind it, I never really heard a ‘we were just wrong’. I heard about the failure to take responsibility. That affects the integrity and the core of the sport.”

When the FIA found out that Red Bull had tried to hide the extra $2.3 million they spent over the cost cap, protests from several team principals poured in. However, the Austrian team almost got away with just a tight slap on the wrist since FIA only needed them to pay a penalty of $7 million. The results of the 2021 season were not overturned and Max Verstappen still walked away with his maiden F1 Championship title. But why is Zak Brown speaking out about this now even though three years have passed?

Zak Brown considers himself a gatekeeper for F1’s rules

Red Bull and McLaren are involved in a fight for this year’s Championship, but Zak Brown wants to keep the duel clean. The Americans are wary of the Austrian outfit since they have broken rules in the past. So, Brown has spoken out about the time when Red Bull surpassed the cost cap. Explaining why he still holds a grudge against Christian Horner’s army, he said, “For me, it’s not personal. It’s about protecting our sport. And if I see things that are not in line with our values, I will speak out. It’s important for people to understand where we come from.”

But surpassing the cost cap is not the only thing Zak Brown believes Red Bull is guilty of. At the Austrian GP this year, the audience got to see a fight between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris where the Dutchman was clearly responsible. Brown had criticized Max’s team for promoting his reckless driving at that time. He had said, “Also disappointed that such a great team like Red Bull, that the leadership almost encourages it [Verstappen’s dangerous driving].”

Thus, time and again, Zak Brown has taken digs at Red Bull, questioning their moves. But the American will have the last laugh when his team beats the Austrian outfit fair and square. Do you think this can happen in the current F1 season? Share in the comments below.