Red Bull Chief Defends Himself From Lewis Hamilton Fans - "I'm A Hero In The Netherlands!"

Horner believes it's because his team is taking wins away from Hamilton.

Christian Horner, team principal of Red Bull who is currently leading the 2023 F1 championship by a mighty 93 points, has defended himself from Lewis Hamilton fans, arguing that it's only because his drivers are taking wins from the 7-time champion.

The team, including Horner and its drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, have come under fire since the Dutch driver won the 2021 title. Following this and a change in regulations, the Milton Keynes squad has been dominating the grid with its Adrian Newey-designed RB23. 

The onslaught from fans of the sport has obviously not stopped, and talking to the press, the team chief has explained why he feels it's happening. 

When you’re competing against the most successful driver of all time and denying him winning, it’s inevitable we’re not going to be that popular with all the Lewis Hamilton fans," he said before arguing:

"We are British based, 95 percent of the people we employ are British. We just don’t have British drivers."

It's been no secret that the team has often reached out to Hamilton about a potential contract, but it hasn't gone further than initial conversations. 

When asked about it, Horner confirms this:

"Of course," Horner answered, before stating that it doesn't keep him up at night. "I'm a hero in the Netherlands and Mexico!"