Christian Horner ‘says and does stuff’ that is ‘wrong’ in fresh Zak Brown swipe

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

The ongoing one-way battle of words between McLaren CEO Zak Brown and Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner continues as Brown claims Horner “says and does stuff” that is “wrong” in a new interview.

In an interview with The Independent, Zak Brown states that he’s speaking out about Horner, not because he’s trying to pick a fight, but because he’s attempting to preserve the “integrity of the sport.”

Zak Brown is “trying to protect the integrity of the sport”

Back in October 2022, the Brown’s beef with Horner and Red Bull truly got underway when it was announced that Red Bull Racing had broken Formula 1’s $135m cost cap. At that time, Brown was clear that he felt the overspend “constitutes cheating.” 

Ever since, the tension between the two teams has risen.

In an interview to The Independent, Brown said, “I only respond to things when I think they’re not right. I speak up on issues.”

But he took it a step further, addressing why he finds himself so regularly at odds with Horner.

“It just seems I have more issues with [Christian], more than others, because he says and does stuff I think is wrong,” Brown said.

“It’s less about getting under each other’s skin and fighting because we were not competing with them during the cost-cap [episode]. I just felt the integrity of the cost cap was critical for the success of Formula 1 and if it wasn’t taken seriously, the sport would be damaged forever.

“I was trying to protect the integrity of the sport and they didn’t take it seriously. That’s why I spoke up.”

More on the key players in this argument

 Zak Brown car collection: The legendary machines owned by the McLaren boss

 Inside Red Bull: Christian Horner and the other major players in Red Bull’s hierarchy

That wasn’t the only Horner barb that Brown tossed out in the interview. He also accused Red Bull of being “scared of Max Verstappen,” citing Christian Horner’s radio messages to the Dutch racer after Verstappen made contact in Austria with McLaren’s Lando Norris.

“We’re very honest with our drivers,” Brown said. “If nobody tells him that what he did wasn’t within the regulations, why should he think otherwise?

“But to have Christian come on the radio and actually squarely point the problem at Lando — who are you kidding? Everyone has seen it.

“The regulations are very clear — you’ve got to leave a car’s width. He didn’t. Why did he have to say anything? It just felt wholly inappropriate.”

Meanwhile, Red Bull have reportedly shot back, rumoured to have alerted the FIA to an ‘additional hole’ on the McLaren MCL38, which should be covered after free practice sessions.

As McLaren has found its footing in 2024, the papaya team has had more opportunities for run-ins with Red Bull Racing, making the battle for the top step of the podium increasingly compelling.

Read next: Red Bull running ‘scared of Max Verstappen’ in fresh McLaren boss accusation