Horner takes the wheel of Red Bull F1 car as Vettel's stand-in

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Silverstone, England – Red Bull Racing's team principal, Christian Horner, took an extraordinary detour from his administrative duties on Friday to drive one of the team's iconic title-winning Formula One cars for the first time in two decades. With four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel on holiday, Horner stepped in for some hands-on action behind the wheel.

The 50-year-old team leader, whose own racing career concluded in Formula 3000 back in 1998, made the Silverstone track his playground on Thursday, piloting Vettel's 2012 RB8 car.

"It was fun. The first time I've driven a Red Bull car and certainly the first time with a hand clutch and two pedals," Horner revealed to reporters at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where he is also scheduled to drive the team’s 2011 RB7 over the weekend.

Horner reminisced about the last F1 car he drove – a Lotus during a 1993 shakedown at Hethel – expressing how far the technology has come since then. "Sebastian Vettel was due to drive one of the cars here but he's on holiday with his family and wasn't able to make Goodwood so the guys suggested why don't you drive it?," Horner said.

"I haven't driven a single-seater since 1998 and a Formula One car since 1993. So I thought there was the opportunity yesterday to drive a car with a hand clutch and a left foot brake. It was a great honor and a great privilege to drive one of these amazing cars, a championship-winning car. So I will be Sebastian's stand-in for the weekend here at Goodwood," he added.

Vettel, who clinched his quartet of titles with Red Bull from 2010 to 2013, is a figurehead of the team’s storied past. Currently, Red Bull is reveling in another golden era, with triple world champion Max Verstappen and Mexican teammate Sergio Pérez both set to grace Goodwood with their driving prowess.

Horner was struck by the performance of the modern F1 machine. "It's mind-boggling how quick these cars are and just how much aero influence there is," he said. "The biggest thing that struck me was when I lifted off, it’s like somebody's thrown an anchor out. It's like heavy braking in a road car. And then you hit the brakes and you're struggling to keep your chin out of your chest. I enjoyed it so much I missed the pitlane and managed to squeeze in an extra lap!"

For a man who has spent nearly two decades orchestrating his team’s strategies from the pit wall, this brief return to the cockpit proved to be not just a nostalgic trip but a thrilling reminder of the pace and power of modern F1 engineering. It’s clear that Horner’s passion for motorsport extends far beyond the managerial seat.

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