Vettel breaks silence over Horner's burning Red Bull dismissal
Sebastian Vettel has weighed in on Christian Horner’s departure from Red Bull this summer.
“Christian left some big footsteps, not just because of all the success he’s had with the team, but also I think he was such a central part of the team”- Sebastian Vettel
Last July, the Austrian team made a drastic leadership change, dismissing the Leamington Spa-born manager with immediate effect after twenty years of tremendous success, and appointing Laurent Mekies as the new team principal and CEO.
Asked by Sky Sports in Brazil how he reacted to the news, the four-time World Champion responded: “Surprised. Christian has been there for so long, since the very beginning and knows this team inside out.”
“I think for this year, everything was in place. I know Laurent as well, the success, and I worked with him and he’s a really, really great person.”
Although he had kind words for Mekies, who in recent months has taken on a challenging and delicate task, the former German driver believes that replacing someone like Horner is no easy feat.
“I think Christian left some big footsteps, not just because of all the success he’s had with the team, but also I think he was such a central part of the team. He knew what was going on and so on.
“I’m not completely aware of the organisation, the structure, and especially the plan for the future. But that’s where I think it’s valid to say, let’s wait and see how it turns out.”
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Vettel urges McLaren to support Piastri
The four-time World Champion, who returned to the paddock in Brazil just last weekend, also spoke about the difficult period Oscar Piastri is currently going through.
The Australian lost the championship lead in Mexico and fell further behind in Interlagos, now sitting 24 points adrift of his teammate with just three races remaining.
Analyzing his situation, Vettel offered advice to McLaren on how to help the Australian regain his best form.
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