Christian Horner OBE | Red Bull Racing Formula One Team About Christian POWER TO THE PEOPLE Formula One is a fast-moving sport – in every aspect. Not just in the micro-seconds that teams pursue in the quest for on-track superiority but also off-track, in the battle to build and maintain the best squad, to best exploit the potential that lies within that team and to direct that effort towards success. For more than a decade that task has fallen to Team Principal Christian Horner and during that time he has made it his goal to carefully assemble a team of like-minded, hard-working and passionately committed designers, engineers, fabricators, mechanics, and racers to take what, in 2005, was a struggling mid-ranking F1 outfit to the top of the sport. For Horner, the process is deceptively simple. "It's all about empowerment," he insists. "You hire people you think are the very best at what they do and you have to trust them to do that job to the best of their ability. If people are invested in what they do, in their contribution to building something then the rewards will come." The Team Principal's belief in people power harks all the way back to his earliest days in motorsport – as a driver.

In a promising junior series career that took him through stints in Formula Renault, British F3 and Formula Two, the future team boss learned that each cog in the racing machine, from driver to race engineer to mechanic, is an integral part of any success. It was a lesson learned in even greater depth when he stepped up to the International FIA F3000 series. There he not only raced, but did so for his own team, Arden International. And it was there, after stepping back from driving to concentrate on running the team that his belief in the power of putting the right people in the right place and giving them the freedom to deliver their best snapped into focus. Over the next six seasons, Horner built Arden into a racing powerhouse, with the young team owner guiding his squad to three Drivers' and Team Championships in succession. It was a remarkable record that brought him to the attention of Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz, and when the drinks company took the radical step of setting up its own Formula One team for the 2005 season, it turned to Horner to run the operation.

Risky as the move seemed, the first-time F1 team principal grabbed the opportunity to apply the lessons learned in the junior formulae and Horner set about reinvigorating each department of the struggling team he had inherited. The recruitment of Adrian Newey as Chief Technical Officer was the most obvious coup, but the policy of placing the right people in the right positions was applied across the team, and over the course of four seasons the team began to coalesce into a force capable of challenging for major honours. The first came in 2009, with the team taking its first win, and it's first 1-2 victory, at the Chinese Grand Prix. From there the floodgates opened. Six wins and second place in the Constructors' Championship in 2009 became nine victories and Team and Drivers' title winners in 2010. Three more double crowns followed over the next three campaigns, putting the team in an exclusive club of just three teams to take four or more constructors' titles consecutively. The 2014 season, however, began a period of transition for the team as the sport underwent the most radical set of technical regulation changes seen for decades.

The shift to 1.6-litre, turbocharged hybrid power units put the team at a power disadvantage, but despite the difficulties the 2014 season was enlivened by another new arrival – Daniel Ricciardo. The young Perth native was drafted in to replace fellow Aussie Mark Webber, who left the team for a tilt at the World Endurance Championship, and Ricciardo was an immediate sensation, running at the front of the pack from the very start of the season. In all, he took three victories in his first season with the team. The campaign was less successful for Sebastian Vettel and as the season drew to a close the German announced his departure from the team. Christian wasted no time in announcing the four-time champion's successor – another highly regarded product of the Red Bull Junior Programme, Russian racer Daniil Kvyat. The team's power struggles continued in 2015 but the determined Kvyat provided the season's high point, taking his first podium finish with second place at the Hungarian Grand Prix ahead of third-placed team-mate Ricciardo. Daniel added another in Singapore and put a late-season gloss on a difficult year.

The new era continues in 2016 as Christian continues to map out the next phase of the team's racing career, beginning with the move to an exciting new power unit supply model, the consolidation the team's racing package and preparing for further change in the fastest moving sport on the planet. Career Highlights 2015 Infiniti Red Bull Racing finished fourth in the constructor's championship, with 187 points 2014 Infiniti Red Bull Racing finishes second in the Constructors' Championship, taking three wins and 12 podium positions.

2013 Leads Infiniti Red Bull Racing to its fourth Drivers' and Constructors' titles in succession, with 13 victories, 11 other podium finishes and 11 pole positions 2012 Leads Red Bull Racing to third consecutive Constructors' and Drivers' Championship wins with seven race victories, eight pole positions and 14 podium finishes overall 2011 Guides the team as it successfully defends both its titles with 12 wins, 18 pole positions, and 27 podiums 2010 Leads the team to its first Constructors' and Drivers' titles after just six seasons on the grid 2009 Presides over the team's first victory and first 1-2 finish at the Chinese Grand Prix and leads Red Bull Racing to second in the Constructors' Championship 2006 Sees the team land its first podium with third for David Coulthard at the Monaco Grand Prix 2005 Appointed Team Principal of Red Bull Racing, the team ends the season in seventh place with 34 points 2004 Arden win the FIA F3000 Team and Drivers' title with Vitantonio Liuzzi 2003 Arden win

 the FIA F3000 Team and Drivers' Championship with Björn Wirdheim 2002 Arden win FIA F3000 Team and Drivers' Championship with Tomas Enge.

(Unfortunately Enge's title was later rescinded) 2000 Arden win Euro F3000 team title 1997 Formed Arden International F3000 team, retired from race driving 1994-6 British F3 1993 Second in the British F3 National Class with five wins 1992 Formula Renault 1990 Third in British Karting Championship Competition Debut: Karting at the age of 12 Nationality English Christian Horner // Formula 1 employee Red Bull Racing When Christian Horner joined the newly branded Red Bull Racing team in 2005, he was the first of a new breed of team principals, lowering the age of the upper management on the pit wall by a considerable margin. Navigating the difficult waters of driver and teammate management, as well as handling the pressure from above as well, Horner has helped guide Red Bull from midfield pretenders to four-times world champions. Biography Horner’s first taste of motorsport was on the driver’s side, as the British racer participated in the national F3 championship.

He moved up to F3000, creating his own squad called Team Arden, but only picked up a single point from two years of racing. Realising he was better outside the car than in, Horner called it a day in 1998. He turned his attention to team management, pushing Arden to win their first championship in 2002. Unfortunately, the title was stripped from driver Tomas Enge who had failed to pass a drugs test. Undeterred, Horner repeated the championship success in 2004, with both driver and constructor’s title. Arden International expanded their offerings, now participating in Formula Renault 3.6, GP2 and GP3 with varying degrees of success. Having caught the attention of Red Bull, Horner was promoted to Team Principal of their F1 outfit, upon their debut in the sport. Joining at the tender age of 32, Horner was the youngest team principal at that time.

Alongside chief designer Adrian Newey, Horner helped the team pick up their first podium in 2006 (forcing a dip in the Energy Station pool with very few clothes on), their first victory in 2009, and the first of four consecutive championships (driver and constructor) in 2010.

Share Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing Team Principal with Martin Brundle, Sky Sports Commentator and David Coulthard, Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Advisor / Channel 4 F1 Commentator at German GP 0 shares Share on Facebook Share 0 Share on Twitter Tweet 0 Share on Linkedin Share 0 Pin It Pin it 0 Share on Google+ Share 0 About this photo Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing Team Principal with Martin Brundle, Sky Sports Commentator and David Coulthard, Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Advisor / Channel 4 F1 Commentator Photographer Red Bull Formula One team principal Christian Horner supports FIA radio transmission ban | Autoweek Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner's take on the ban: "It is time for the drivers to drive." Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC Red Bull Formula One team principal Christian Horner supports FIA radio transmission ban F1 legend Alain Prost also backs new regulations September 12, 2014 Pinterest Email Christian Horner and Alain Prost have welcomed the FIA's immediate clampdown on radio communications within Formula One .

Responding to criticism from fans, F1 race director Charlie Whiting on Thursday circulated a directive to teams clarifying the existing rule about drivers needing to "drive the car alone and unaided." It means that from Singapore and beyond, all radio messages from the pit wall to the drivers relating to "performance" are now strictly banned. Whiting said the FIA "intends to rigorously enforce this regulation with immediate effect." The move is a reaction to claims fans are being turned off the sport amid the impression the “heroes” -- arguably the world's best drivers -- are being told how to drive the complex cars in 2014 by engineers. "Therefore no radio conversation from pit to driver may include any information that is related to the performance of the car or driver," said Whiting. He added that "general" radio calls about race strategy and safety are excluded from the ban. Whiting told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport that the penalties applied will be "at the discretion of the stewards," but will probably be of a sporting nature rather than fines. The ban will also end the perception that drivers are being told by their teams during races to save fuel, brakes and tires.

"That [kind of instruction] would violate the rule," Whiting clarified. "The driver can see the fuel consumption on the steering wheel, just as you do in your normal car." As for advice about engine settings, fuel mixtures and energy-recovery charging, Whiting insisted, "Absolutely not [allowed]. This is clearly contrary to Article 20.1." But he said the issuing of team orders and advice about traffic is "OK." Red Bull team boss Horner told the Times he fully backs the FIA's new stance. "The driver should be on his own when he gets into the cockpit. They all need to be told about pit stops and safety and so on, but none of this picking up advice on where other people are a tenth of a second faster and what gear to choose. That is nonsense. "It is time for the drivers to drive," he insisted. Also supportive is Alain Prost, the F1 legend and quadruple world champion. "People can think Formula One has become something too assisted, easy and controlled by somebody else than the driver," he said.

By GMM Christian Horner | F1 Fraternity | F1 People | Features | F1PULSE.com Christian Horner © Red Bull Racing, 10 April 2009 © Red Bull Racing : Leamington Spa, England Four titles, 27 race wins and 38 pole positions represent a rich haul for Christian Horner since he was handed the helm of Red Bull ’s new F1 team in 2005 . But while the glittering prizes amassed over 126 races (at the start of the 2012 season) are a source of immense pride, the Red Bull team principal will point to the achievement of building a team capable of winning multiple championships in just seven seasons as perhaps the most satisfying aspect of his role. Indeed, asked in a magazine interview in 2011 to pick out the greatest lesson he has learned about management during his career Horner was quick to credit teamwork as the key to success. “The most important thing is to empower people to do their job and not to tell them how to do it. Back them and support them,” he said.

It’s a philosophy that stretches back to the very beginning of the team boss’ career in motorsport – as a racing driver. In a promising junior series career that took him through stints in Formula Renault , British F3 and F2, the future team boss gained invaluable first-hand experience of just what it takes to make a successful racer – with raw talent being only part of the package. Horner quickly realised that each cog in the racing machine from driver to race engineer to mechanic to parts fabricator is an integral part of any success. It was a lesson learned in even greater depth when he stepped up from F3 to the International F3000 series. There he not only raced but did so for his own team, Arden, and it was there, after retiring from driving to concentrate on running the team, that his belief in the power of putting the right people in the right places snapped into full focus. Over the next six seasons Horner made Arden a racing powerhouse, with the young team owner guiding the outfit to three drivers’ and team championships in succession.

It was a remarkable record that brought Horner to the attention of Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz, and when the drinks manufacturer took the radical step of setting up its own Formula 1 team for the 2005 season, it turned to Horner to run the operation. Risky as the move seemed, the first-time F1 team principal seized the opportunity to apply the lessons learned in the junior formulae with both hands. Inheriting the remnants of the Jaguar team, Horner set about reinvigorating each department in pursuit of a dedicated squad motivated by the single goal of reaching the top. The big name signing of Adrian Newey as chief technical officer was the new arrival’s most obvious coup, but the policy of placing the right people in the right positions was applied from top to bottom throughout the team. And with Red Bull also making judicious moves in the driver market, Horner had, by 2009 , built a team capable of winning races, the first coming with a one-two finish for winner Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber at the Chinese Grand Prix . The tale since has, of course, been one of incredible success.

The Chinese GP one-two was followed by five more victories in 2009 and runners-up finishes in both the constructors’ and drivers’ championships. The following year the team made the crucial next step and at the season’s penultimate race landed its first constructors’ title. The drivers’ crown for Vettel followed a week later after a thrilling four-way title showdown and the team’s mission was realised. It was really only the start, however. It’s often said that while winning once is a laudable feat, it’s in repeating the achievement that success is really confirmed. Horner achieved that consistency in 2011, with the team scoring 12 victories, 27 podiums and 18 pole positions to claim back-to-to-back titles. The quest for Horner now is to maintain the hunger for more success, and if the same interview that sought the team principal’s thoughts on management is any guide then the desire for titles should be in no doubt.

Asked to name the thing he most hated in the world Horner’s reply was short: “Losing.” Christian Horner | Podium Christian Value Christian Horner It is tempting to surmise that the winners and losers in the opulent, high-octane world of Formula One, undoubtedly the most seductively scientific of sporting contests, ultimately owe their diverging fortunes to the relative application of one commodity: technology. But Christian Horner, the team principal of the Red Bull Racing team, which won the 2010 Formula One World Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships (the latter through German driver Sebastian Vettel) and which looks set to repeat the feat this year, prefers to focus on an equally subtle science: teamwork. The technological secrets of Red Bull’s success may lurk somewhere in the aerodynamic carbon-fibre chassis, “flexible” front wing and 2400CC Renault RS 27-2011 engine of their RB7 race car, the refrigerated super-computers at their Milton Keynes HQ or the streams of data blinking on their trackside telemetry monitors, but every innovation, advantage and strategy originates from the team’s 525 members of staff.

Whether it is the driving skills of Vettel and Mark Webber, the creative genius of chief technical officer Adrian Newey, the dedication of the mechanics, the intricate choreography of the pit crew or the brainpower of the pit wall team, Formula One remains, according to the boss of the best team on the grid, a people business. “We are tremendously proud of what we have achieved in just six years, but there is no secret,” 37-year-old Horner tells PODIUM on the eve of the Italian Grand Prix (which Vettel wins). “It is all down to the people. Working collectively and efficiently is fundamentally the most important factor, along with stability. The essential quality I look for in staff is the ability to work within a team environment. That’s what has made Red Bull successful. We have a straightforward vision and goal and everybody involved is rowing in tandem to achieve that one vision.” The young Red Bull chief’s own journey to the top has taken place at tyre-melting speed. Born in Leamington Spa in 1973, and educated at Warwick School, Horner, the second of three brothers, grew up with a passion for motorsport.

He remembers crawling under a fence at Silverstone to catch a glimpse of his idol Nigel Mansell performing a tyre test. “He was one of my heroes,” Horner says. “He was very exciting to watch. There was always some drama surrounding him and he was certainly the stand-out driver of my childhood.” As a young driver, Horner competed in the British Formula Renault Championship as well as British Formulas Two and Three. In 1997, he moved up to Formula 3000, the precursor to GP2, by founding the Arden team with his father Garry, but 21st and 33rd place finishes in his first two years convinced Horner that his future lay on the pit wall, not in the cockpit. From 1999, aged just 25, he focused on managing his team and achieved three consecutive constructors’ championships between 2002 and 2004. “That was when I learned the need to work as a team,” he recalls. “I realised you have got to have the right people in the right areas for the plan to succeed.

Whether that is a GP2, F3000 or Formula One, you need the right engineers, the right technicians, the right drivers, the right designers, the right facilities and the right engine partner. All those aspects need to come together to deliver results.” I don’t really have a role model… I admire people like Sir Alex Ferguson but I certainly don’t have a mentor It is clear that Horner forged his own path to success instead of imitating others. When asked about people he admires in business or sport, he momentarily struggles. “Oh, crikey,” he says, before a long pause. “I don’t really have a role model. I have learned a lot from Dietrich (Mateschitz, owner of Red Bull) and there are lots of people I admire—like Alex Ferguson—but I certainly don’t have a mentor.” Horner’s ability to lead a team, solve problems, entice talent and delegate effectively attracted the attention of Mateschitz, the Austrian billionaire (valued at $5bn by Forbes magazine in 2011) who co-founded Red Bull, the energy drink manufacturers, in 1984.

When, on 15 November 2004, Red Bull purchased the assets of the struggling Jaguar Racing team on the final day of its sale by the Ford Motor Company, Mateschitz appointed Horner to lead the newly formed Red Bull Racing team. The young team principal began work with the keys to a Milton Keynes factory, some leftover car designs and a group of talented but disillusioned staff. “Our target from day one was always to build a winning team,” says Horner. “That was Dietrich’s vision when he hired me. Obviously my immediate challenge was recognising where the strengths and weaknesses of the team were and then addressing them. The most important value in my relationship with Dietrich is trust. He took a risk on me at a young age and hopefully I have repaid the faith. He is a tremendous guy to work for. He is very supportive, he sets high targets, but he is also very fair.” Horner gradually overhauled the culture of the team, injecting creativity and belief. “We had to create a winning mindset,” he says. “In the team’s previous guise as Jaguar, there had been many changes in management, technical direction and strategic direction. But Red Bull provided a new, stable environment.

We set clear goals in each area and matched those objectives by investing in the facility, in tools or in personnel. It is absolutely true to say that a totally different culture exists today.” Between 2005 and 2008 the team didn’t finish higher than fifth in the constructors’ championship, but Horner was pursuing a long-term strategy. Central to this was recruitment of talented personnel, in particular signing Adrian Newey from McLaren as chief technical officer, chief designer Rob Marshall from Renault and head of aerodynamics Peter Prodromou, also from McLaren. Newey, who had designed championship-winning cars for Williams F1™ and McLaren, was attracted by a reported salary of £6m ($9.5m) per year and the unique atmosphere Horner had created. Discussing an approach from Ferrari earlier this year, Newey remarked: “F1™ is a people sport, not a marque sport.” Red Bull’s relaxed team atmosphere is something Horner has deliberately cultivated. The team’s humble HQ, located on a Milton Keynes industrial estate, is strikingly more informal than McLaren’s Norman Foster-designed glass and steel Technology Centre and the team’s “Energy Station” motorhome is a riot of DJs, celebrities and Jägerbombs.

You will see a lot more people in jeans and T-shirts here than at McLaren or Ferrari “We have fostered the Red Bull spirit and that is lived throughout this team,” Horner says. “It’s a friendly and relaxed environment, but also a very competitive and determined one. You will see a lot more people in jeans and T-shirts here than at McLaren or Ferrari but I see this as a matter of creating an environment in which people feel comfortable and you bring the best out of them.” The boss is happy to join in the fun. After losing a bet with Martin Brundle in 2006, he hurled himself into a Monaco swimming pool wearing only a Superman cape to celebrate the team’s first podium finish by former driver David Coulthard. Is he less likely to make bets these days? “Absolutely,” he laughs. “I have learned my lesson from that.” In 2009 the team finishes a close second behind Brawn in the constructors’ championship, with Vettel finishing second in the driver’s championship.

But the intricate planning, talent recruitment and team-building tactics, backed up by a strong budget (around £160m in 2010, but still some way below Ferrari’s £248m), paid dividends last year with Red Bull winning both the constructors’ and drivers’ championships as Vettel finished first and Webber third. It was a victory Horner credits as much to his drivers’ talents as to the RB6, which proved to be the best-handling car on the grid. “No matter what the technology is, the best drivers will always rise to the top and over the different generations of the sport, that is what has always happened,” he says. The season was not without incident, most notably when Vettel and Webber crashed into each other at the Turkish Grand Prix, which gifted McLaren a 1-2 finish. Horner dealt with any simmering tension by chairing a calm, open discussion when the drivers’ emotions had subsided. He believes honest discussion is the best solution to working conflicts, but is confident that having two ambitious drivers provides vital competition, momentum and focus.

Both drivers are at a different stage in their careers and they are very likeable people ”You have two guys who are pushing each other—obviously very hard—to bring the best out of each other,” says Horner. “Both drivers are at a different stage in their careers and they are very likeable people. Sebastian has grown up within the Red Bull family and he is a phenomenal talent and also a very nice guy and easy to spend time with. Mark is at a different stage in his life but is an equally determined character (his idol is Roy Keane) and that is a very positive dynamic within the team.” This year, Red Bull are dominating the 2011 constructors’ championship and Vettel and Webber are first and second in the drivers’ championship. A repeat of the 2010 double looks likely. Has it been a very different challenge for Horner? “Yes, previously it was all about getting there,” he says. “We know 2009 was a year of evolution for Red Bull—we won our first race, but just missed out on the constructors’ and driver’s championships. “We went one better last year, taking on the might of McLaren and Ferrari.

This year we have managed to consolidate on that performance. 2011 has been much more involved because it is much harder to maintain performance when you suddenly go from being the hunter to the hunted. That brings a new and different dynamic. I’m very, very pleased with the way the whole team has dealt with that pressure.” Like every team in F1™, Red Bull have been affected by the global economic crisis, but Horner recognises that the cost-cutting may have helped his team peg back the F1™ giants: “There were a lot of cost-saving measures brought in during the financial crisis with the restriction of testing and engines being limited to eight per car per year, which is an enormous difference to where Formula One was in previous years. Costs have been significantly reduced under the governance of the Resource Restriction Agreement (RRA), which was voluntarily entered into by the teams. But that has been absolutely fundamental in allowing Red Bull to achieve the kind of results we have.” Citing the raft of technical and rule changes in F1™ in recent years, Horner adds: “I think any significant technical change does cost money so stability is the best way to control costs.

Inevitably some regulations are needed to be revised or tidied up, as with the double diffuser and the F-Duct, but obviously whenever you change regulations, there does tend to be an element of cost involved.” With his team flying high, Horner is understandably enjoying the global roadshow of Formula One. “There are numerous races I enjoy—the historic events like Monaco and Silverstone and any of the big cities, such as Montreal and Melbourne, are enjoyable events,” he says. “I especially look forward to going to New Delhi this year for the first India Grand Prix.” Many have questioned Red Bull’s long-term commitment to F1™, given that they don’t have road cars to market like Mercedes or Ferrari. Instead, the Red Bull company utilises its sponsorships as a powerful marketing tool to help sell over four billion cans of drink a year. They also own the Scuderia Toro Rosso F1™ team, football teams in Leipzig, Sao Paulo, Salzburg and New York, and sponsor over 500 individual extreme sports athletes. Yet Horner is planning for the future, as evinced by tying down Newey and Vettel until 2014.

“You can never afford to be complacent, so you don’t look too far ahead, but (prior to the Italian GP) we have 22 Grand Prix wins, 32 pole positions and won two championships so we are determined to build on those statistics,” he says. “But we absolutely don’t underestimate the heritage of Ferrari or the resources and strength of teams like McLaren and Mercedes.” It is hard to imagine the grand old aristocracy of Formula One enjoying Red Bull’s rise to power. Is Horner close to the other team principals? “Ah, it is obviously a very competitive environment,” he says. “The teams have been working more collectively in recent years. We tend to keep ourselves to ourselves but come together when we need to. Inevitably it has been a bit uncomfortable for one or two other teams, but that is to be expected when you are involved in such a hugely competitive industry.

And, of course, it is something we ourselves are very, very comfortable with.” To read more on the Red Bull team, visit Mark Bailey is a freelance sports journalist based in London Uncategorized FIA Friday press conference - Spain FIA Friday press conference - Spain Next Previous Enlarge 1 / 4 (L to R): Cyril Abiteboul (FRA) Renault Sport F1 Managing Director, Yusuke Hasegawa (JPN) Head of Honda Motorsport, Robert Fearnley (GBR) Force India F1 Team Deputy Team Principal, Maurizio Arrivabene (ITA) Ferrari Team Principal, Toto Wolff (AUT) Mercedes AMG F1 Director of Motorsport and Christian Horner (GBR) Red Bull Racing Team Principal in the Press Conference at Formula One World Championship, Rd5, Spanish Grand Prix, Practice, Barcelona, Spain, Friday 13 May 2016. © Sutton Images Cyril Abiteboul (FRA) Renault Sport F1 Managing Director in the Press Conference at Formula One World Championship, Rd5, Spanish Grand Prix, Practice, Barcelona, Spain, Friday 13 May 2016.

© Sutton Images Maurizio Arrivabene (ITA) Ferrari Team Principal in the Press Conference at Formula One World Championship, Rd5, Spanish Grand Prix, Practice, Barcelona, Spain, Friday 13 May 2016. © Sutton Images Robert Fearnley (GBR) Force India F1 Team Deputy Team Principal in the Press Conference at Formula One World Championship, Rd5, Spanish Grand Prix, Practice, Barcelona, Spain, Friday 13 May 2016. © Sutton Images Info Close PRESS CONFERENCE Q: Let's start with a question to you all. After much debate and discussion the FIA has now confirmed the revised engine regulations for 2017 to 2020. Are you pleased with the final agreement? Maybe we could start with Cyril. Cyril Abiteboul: Yeah, I mean, it's an agreement, so we are pleased with this agreement in particular, but I think what's good now is to have a clear understanding of what's coming up for the next few years. We all know stability is important, so we have agreed for some stability up to 2020.

We have also agreed for price reduction for customer teams, that's clear, that's agreed. There is also a clear target to get the performance to converge, because we all believe that it's important for Formula One. We believe it is happening anyway, but there is this clear target. It cannot be a guarantee, because no one can guarantee performance. You can't guarantee performance in the wind tunnel, same thing with engine. But we all know what we have to do. It's good, it's a relief, because we know what we have to do and we can make plans for the future. Q: Maurizio? Maurizio Arrivabene: I'm very happy about that, because the most important news is that they talk and they move and that has opened the competitiveness for all of us and also the development. In terms of stability it's absolutely fine, so I have no doubt that this decision is going to help the sport. Q: Robert? Robert Fernley: I think we'll reserve our position. Q: Meaning? RF: We'll reserve our position. Q: Hasegawa-san, your thoughts?

Yusuke Hasegawa: Yes, not everything is good to the engine manufacturer, but it's good to fix the rules and I believe the rules continue to 2020, so the rule stability is very good to us as a big company so it is good. Q: Christian? Christian Horner: I think what Bob was trying to say is that it is a little underwhelming. It's a very soft agreement between the manufacturers and the FIA. It tickles the price, deals a little bit with convergence, the obligation to supply doesn't really apply, so it's a very weak agreement. Unfortunately it's a shame more couldn't be done, but I suppose if you look on the bright side it's better than nothing. Q: A weak agreement Toto? Toto Wolff: I just want to digest what I just heard in the last five minutes. We achieved a major price reduction over two years. We have opened up development scope for others to catch up. We have designed an obligation to supply so no team runs out of an engine contract. We have found a mechanism how performance convergence could be trigged.

Lots of good things, many months of hard work in trying to get everybody on the same page, I think it's a good step forward. Q: OK, a few individual questions then, starting with Cyril. We're waiting to see what the engine upgrade brings. Can you tell us a little bit about the strategy behind the 2016 development programme and what you expect this upgrade to bring in terms of lap time? CA: Well, the strategy is fairly straightforward. Quite opposite to what's happening in the chassis regulation with a major change between '16 and '17, nothing changed on the engine regulation between '16 and '17, so anything you can bring in '16 is good for '16 and '17, so there is no question mark or debate about how do you… do I split my resources between this year and next year? That's part of the development strategy, that's part of the programme. It's not all that we have in the pipeline; it's a good chunk of it. It's a good chunk for this year and we hope that it will be reducing some of the gap to the gentleman sitting in the front row to the benefit of Christian and Red Bull.

Q: Robert, coming back to you: tough start to the year, eight points on the board after four races. You've brought some updates this weekend, but can you sum up where you are in early 2016 and where you're heading? RF: Well, from our point of view it's disappointing that the results that we have don't justify the car and it's the exact opposite of where we were last year, where the results really flattered us to a certain degree. We've had two races where both cars got taken out in the first lap and the other two races, where a red flag and the safety car didn't help out strategies at all. I think we just have to keep doing the right things all the time and it'll come back to us. I'm very confident. The team is doing a great job technically. This upgrade appears to be working where we want it and we'll climb our way back to where we want to be. Q: Thank you for that. Hasegawa-san, going back to the discussion about engine regulations, obviously part of this new FIA agreement regards manufacturers supplying more than one team.

Honda has always maintained it would welcome supplying multiple teams in Formula One, but have you actually begun any negotiations with anybody for 2017. YH: As a matter of fact, we don't have concrete negotiations, although we have some conversations with some teams, but unfortunately we can't make a conclusion with some teams. Currently our position is that we have to wait until the situation changes. Q: But it's true to say that you still welcome the opportunity to supply a different team? YH: Welcome is a different word. I think I have an obligation to contribute to Formula One society, so we are preparing our resource, but still we are not strong enough to provide multiple teams. We are preparing now. Q: Toto, back to you. The team wrote and open letter to the fans after all the conspiracy theories circulating around Lewis Hamilton's technical problems. How did that come about and what was achieved by it? TW: Well, since a while already we are trying to have a pretty transparent communication with all the stakeholders. We engage a lot through social media with our fans and this was one more exercise in that direction, which we felt was necessary to say where we are coming from. Q: And how do you feel it worked out?

TW: I don't know. Clearly with Lewis and Nico in the car they polarise. There's always going to be controversy around that, but I feel it worked out OK. Q: OK, thanks for that. Christian, obviously the big talking point going into this weekend is the switch of Daniil Kvyat and Max Verstappen. What part did you play in that and how hard do you think it will be for Verstappen to adjust to your car mid-season, given how little Formula One experience he has? CH: I think Red Bull are in a unique situation where we've got four drivers contracted to the team. Two have always been loaned to Toro Rosso and within their contracts we have the ability to move drivers around and with the benefit of four relatively competitive cockpits we have the ability unlike other teams to move drivers from team to team.

There's been some discussion for a little while, because obviously we monitor and follow the performance of each of the drivers very carefully, not only in the car but outside the car, through the development programme and through the tools we have back at the factory as well and basically we reached a conclusion to say there's never an ideal time to move things around but if we are going to move it why don't we get on with it, do it in time for the European season. It puts our best foot forward in Red Bull Racing, it gives Dany Kvyat the chance to continue to develop in the Toro Rosso environment and that was the basis of the decision. In the meantime it also allows us to tidy up options and secure things for the future as well, so all very positive. Q: Coming to you Maurizio: the cars are a lot faster this year than in 2015. I think Kimi was three seconds quicker in that FP2 session than he was 12 months ago. In terms of your performance as a team do you feel that until now you haven't been able to show the real Ferrari performance due to the various issues that you've had at the races?

MA: It's true, but can you repeat… our car is faster, three seconds to last year? FP2 last year, yes. MA: Thank you, I like to hear that! The problem is they [Mercedes] are faster than us! No, I mean we have a programme of development. We try very, very hard, taking also a big risk at the start of the season. We have also a bit of bad luck, being honest. But I've said many, many times this Mercedes teams is the strongest of the last 10 years. So to beat them you need to take some risks and you need to work very, very hard. I'm talking about this with respect for them but with determination that sooner or later we can catch up. Next Previous Enlarge 1 / 5 Yusuke Hasegawa (JPN) Head of Honda Motorsport in the Press Conference at Formula One World Championship, Rd5, Spanish Grand Prix, Practice, Barcelona, Spain, Friday 13 May 2016.

© Sutton Images Christian Horner (GBR) Red Bull Racing Team Principal in the Press Conference at Formula One World Championship, Rd5, Spanish Grand Prix, Practice, Barcelona, Spain, Friday 13 May 2016. © Sutton Images Toto Wolff (AUT) Mercedes AMG F1 Director of Motorsport in the Press Conference at Formula One World Championship, Rd5, Spanish Grand Prix, Practice, Barcelona, Spain, Friday 13 May 2016. © Sutton Images Toto Wolff (AUT) Mercedes AMG F1 Director of Motorsport and Maurizio Arrivabene (ITA) Ferrari Team Principal in the Press Conference at Formula One World Championship, Rd5, Spanish Grand Prix, Practice, Barcelona, Spain, Friday 13 May 2016.

© Sutton Images (L to R): Cyril Abiteboul (FRA) Renault Sport F1 Managing Director, Yusuke Hasegawa (JPN) Head of Honda Motorsport, Robert Fearnley (GBR) Force India F1 Team Deputy Team Principal, Maurizio Arrivabene (ITA) Ferrari Team Principal, Toto Wolff (AUT) Mercedes AMG F1 Director of Motorsport and Christian Horner (GBR) Red Bull Racing Team Principal in the Press Conference at Formula One World Championship, Rd5, Spanish Grand Prix, Practice, Barcelona, Spain, Friday 13 May 2016. © Sutton Images Info Close QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR Q: (Vladimir Rogovets – Sb Belarus) We see here representatives of different teams. My question is for all. In Formula One it's very important to have good driver, good chassis and good engine – how many per cent can you give to the role of driver, the importance engine, of chassis? CA: I think you should ask Toto, because he has all of it! TW: One doesn't go without the other. You cannot give percentages.

The best driver in a weak chassis will not be competitive and, if he has a weak engine, it will not help either. So you need to align the stars, try to get the best possible driver in the best possible car with a very competitive engine. Anyone else like to have a stab at it? Christian, your thoughts. CH: Yeah, I think Formula One, the three elements should have equal weight: the driver, the chassis and the engine. So if one of those elements isn't quite right, the other two can compensate. I think in today's Formula One, with the recent engine changes I think we've offset that balance, and so you've probably got – I don't know – 50 per cent engine, 25 per cent chassis, 25 per cent driver. I think the encouraging thing is the regulations that are in the pipeline for next year should rebalance that: it should make chassis a little bit more of a factor, which is going to challenge the driver more. So, hopefully for 2017 it should balance up a little. Do you agree with those ratios Robert?

RF: I think there's an old saying that a good driver can always make a poor car look good – but not the other way around. So I think both of them are important. Hasegawa-san, any thoughts on this? YH: It is a bit difficult to tell the number. To me, every element has a one-third importance I think – to me. Maurizio? MA: I'm not good with percentages but being logical and straightforward, how can you go there and run around without the driver? And then you need to also have a good driver. At the moment it's a good balance in between the three. Maybe the engine is more important this year without doing percentages. Next year, I agree with Christian, you could have the chassis that is going to take up a bit more importance, making all the races a bit more interesting and also challenging the drivers' ability. But I think, looking at this year, it's very spread out between the driver, chassis and engine – and if I have to talk in percentages, with something more for the engine. Cyril, you tossed the question to Toto at the beginning. Do you want to say anything about it?

CA: I think in theory we would like an equal breakdown between the three elements – but that never happens. The one thing that should not happen is that the engine is taking too much weight for the simple reason that you have fewer engine suppliers than you have teams. So, if suddenly the engine is taking more weight you are giving too much power to one single entity, which is exactly what happened in truth for Mercedes. Nothing wrong with that, just because they did a brilliant job – but it's never too good for the sport. Q: (Silvia Arias – Parabrisas) Yesterday in this room Lewis Hamilton said something like “Ferrari is hungry to win, of course, but we still have potential to develop our engine.” I would like to ask Mr Arrivabene how optimistic you can be this year trying to beat Mercedes when the driver says something like that? And is Ferrari able to develop still the engine this year? MA: Looking at the first four races saying that I'm optimistic… it's a bit too much. But of course because we know exactly what's happened there. In Melbourne victory was absolutely possible. In Bahrain maybe yes, and then we have two different circumstances in the other two races. Of course I'm optimistic.

If you're asking me when, most probably we have to share the question in between me and him to understand precisely but I mean of course we are trying to do our best, and we are determined and optimistic. Q: (Rodrigo Franca – VIP Magazine) Question for all. If each one of you can make a single change to the regulations for next year, what would it be? CH: Mercedes engines for everybody free of charge. And in the real world? CH: Well, we have a chassis regulation change. I think anything that gives the driver more predominance… Formula One is about man and machine, or woman and machine at the absolute limit. I think at the moment the drivers have too much of an easy time. We don't see or get to appreciate their skill levels – which are huge. I think anything that can be encouraged within the regulations that differentiates more between the drivers, so we get to appreciate more the real skill they have, I'd be all for. Toto? TW: I think if we leave everything as it is now, we have changed the regulations for a new aerodynamic concept for next year and that's pretty exciting. I'm actually quite happy with the direction we are heading towards. Maurizio?

MA: I'm quite happy too, being honest. Concerning the show, I think from my point of few, as Ferrari, we are building car, engine, gearbox and chassis and not growing driver, so for us it's good what we have. If you are asking me what you really, really like to change, I threw up on the table maybe ban the simulator. In this way you can go testing to the track, you can promote Formula One, you are not going to spend millions to update the simulator. Why not? You have to think that keeping the exclusivity of Formula One, it doesn't mean that Formula One has to be viewed only at the race time and disappearing in between the grand prix. I mean to promote Formula One you have to see the car running and to test the tyre you have to do testing. Now we have something that, in my opinion is quite artificial like the simulator. If you are asking me, OK, tell me what you want to change. It is not a proposal for FIA. It is my thought. Cyril?

CA: Well, as said, we know what we have now and it's too late anyway to change but the one regret that we have is on fuel limitation, on fuel quantity. Because even though we support and appreciate the message that Formula One needs to be fuel efficient, the product is fuel-efficient first and foremost and secondly the fuel quantity limitation is going against the performance convergence which we all think is important. So if you are to ask me that, the one which I would waive, also because we want the driver to be constantly in a situation to attack and not to have to manage too carefully their fuel, so that would be the only one – but it's a small detail. And how much fuel in a perfect world would you want to give them? CA: I would take away completely the quantity just for the message. Formula One is not endurance, it is not LMP1, it is a short race, it is about being able to attack constantly. So it's joining a little bit the point made by Christian a bit earlier. If you ask me what is the fuel quantity that is needed in order to be fuel sustainable at all races, I think we are talking about three to five kilograms of fuel will make it.

But again, just for the sake of the message and the simplicity of the message and not have negativity that Formula One is about precious drivers and so on and so forth, I would take away any limitation. Hasagawa-san? YH: This is also a personal opinion, so not a proposal for the FIA but if we could reduce the penalty of the number of the usage of the engine it would be nice. Of course I respect the longer mileage engine and the durability is a very important challenge for the engine people but the current penalties, I think are too big and complicated to introduce to the fans. I think we should be better to reduce the penalty to the engine change on usage on engines. Bob? RF: I think there's a lot of work gone into producing the regulations for next year which I'm quite comfortable with as they are – but I think the underlying problems for Formula One are in what is a very inequitable distribution of income. I think we need to get that right to make sure its sustainable.

Q: (Sergio Alvarez - One Magazine) Maurizio, this weekend this Spanish Grand Prix is the anniversary of Michael Schumacher's first win for Ferrari; is there any special feeling inside the team and do you remember what you were doing that Sunday? MA: Yes, Michael is in our hearts every single day. He's part of the history of Ferrari. I was here that day and I remember very well the hug that Michael gave to me later on after the race and what we were drinking in the cup. It was a very very good feeling. I think it was wine or something. I don't like... being an Italian, I don't drink wine! It was something that for me was very strange but good. TW: I don't remember unfortunately. I remember those glorious Schumacher years, an era when Ferrari was dominant with Michael there and like he's very very much part of Ferrari, he's very much part of Mercedes as well but for that particular Sunday, no recollection. CH: Yes, I remember it very well. I was watching it on the TV.

I remember being a Williams supporter at the time and David Coulthard and Damon Hill both managed to screw it up and Michael did a great job that day in the rain, in conditions that were pretty appalling. It's a great equaliser and in a car that was nowhere near the level of a Williams performance, he was in a class of his own that day and it was a very very impressive drive. RF: This goes back to what I said before, that a great driver often makes an underperforming chassis look very very good, and that's what Michael did. He was quite remarkable. YH: When was that? Sorry, I don't remember. I wasn't in Formula One. CA: I think I was working on my exams unfortunately. Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines) Cyril, you said earlier on that performance convergence is a target. Fabrice Lom said earlier on that it will be monitored rather than regulated. Now are the four power units suppliers represented here confident that convergence can actually be achieved within certain limits, two per cent or 0.3s?

And that one or other team won't possibly be fudging their performance for as long as this monitoring is carrying on and then just shooting off ahead on their own thereafter? CA: That's one hell of a tactic. No I think that's what we have to aim for, that's the target, that's our ambition and I think frankly that's achievable. When I look at what we have on our dyno, what we have on simulation but also on dyno, so I'm talking about physical product, we really have a good good hope that we can do that, so obviously just looking at what we are doing. What I don't know is what Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda are doing but there is naturally a law of diminishing returns, as we all know, which, after some time, is starting to kick in. Maybe we need to ask the gentlemen in front what is their plan, but I think it's achievable and talking about the tactics that will be followed by any team in order to change, to create a reaction in change, frankly I think that's a bit remote and I think there is an element of change that will not be controlled by such a team that would kick off the process so I don't really believe that.

MA: I think in our position we will continue to develop our engine and without stopping that for sure so then if, somehow, the convergence is achieved, it's something that we need to discuss, but no discussion that the developing and looking for the performance is in the DNA of our team. TW: Yeah, I would agree. The regulation stays stable, the development scope is opened up a bit so it is pretty logical that the field is going to converge. We are going to try to do everything to not make this happen. YH: Even if we don't have a rule, we have to catch up, otherwise we can't be here, I think. Naturally we have to catch up, yes. Q: (Dieter Rencken – Racing Lines) Toto, your company: although the team is based in the UK, the head office is based in Germany. Cyril, exactly the same with yours except that it's France. Christian, yours is Austria and the UK. With this looming Brexit vote coming up, have you looked at the impact on a British organisation with a European head office and what could possibly happen operationally?

I'm not asking for political comment at all, but purely operationally, how you see it could affect your teams in future? CH: Well, we had George Osborne come round the other day but he never mentioned Brexit which was quite impressive. Look, we're a sporting team, we're based in the UK, we're not going to get involved in politics. If it happens, it happens. If it stays it doesn't make a great deal of difference to us, so we'll deal with it as and when, if it should happen. TW: When I took the job in 2013 I was told by my boss, Dieter Zetsche, don't comment on politics so I'm not commenting on politics. We're sporting, as Christian says, and we just have to get on with our job. CA: Without talking about politics, the only thing we would have to look at carefully is the effect on the currency, because as an organisation we are exposed to a number of foreign exchange rates including dollars because the revenue of FOM is not euros, it's dollars so we would have some impact there. But apart from that, I don't see any other implications.

Q: (Fabrizio Corgnati – diariodelweb.com) For Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault and Honda: as manufacturers, do you think that modern Formula One still gives a good return of investment to help improving the road car sales? YH: Technical side or promotion side? Marketing side. Of course it is very difficult to say, the current Honda position is not a very good effect to the mass production but definitely, the image of Formula One can still have a good image for the mass production side as well, yes. CA: Well, obviously I think we reply to that answer with the decision that we made at the end of last year and obviously, as you can imagine, we've done a lot of analysis in order to form that decision which was a joint decision within the Renault Group. Clearly Formula One is relevant, is useful as long as you win, so that's the big ‘If' and obviously since we look where we're starting from that's a big ‘If' and obviously that's a big ambition but if you are successful, the amount of exposure that you have, even against the cost which is high, is completely balanced so what you need is to do what's necessary in order to be successful.

The problem is really the entry ticket and the extra spend that you need to put in the initial years in order to get to the level of competitiveness that you want. That's the difficulty of the whole business case of Formula One. MA: It's a bit more simple, my analysis, starting from the past. Enzo Ferrari, when he started his activity, the production side of Ferrari was racing at the same time. Ferrari is not doing advertising and racing is the way of Ferrari to advertise the brand and this is one aspect. The other aspect is of course in racing you can transfer sooner or later certain technology that you are developing on the whole car. Take for example the gearbox on the steering wheel and all this novelty; some things are not applicable yet because of course they are so high (technology) but as soon you are able to find the process to produce in big numbers and then acceptable quota of technology that you are developing Formula One, this is something that you apply to the car and that was part of the history of Ferrari and it continues to be like this. TW: Similar with Mercedes. The first ever Mercedes was a racing car and this is part of our DNA: we build racing cars and we build road cars.

It is not a sponsorship platform so we will continue to do just that and in terms of the advertising value equivalent that you generate, it's a global platform and a very good platform. Recommended

Question: Christian Horner is team principal for which F1 racing team?
Answer: RED BULL RACING