Red Bull team principal Christian Horner stepped forward to defend the Austrian outfit for taking managerial duties of two F1 teams, Oracle Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls.

Red Bull’s close relationship with the Italian team Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, formerly known as AlphaTarui, has been well documented so far.

Notably, for the upcoming 2024 F1 season, Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls are set to collaborate more closely, with an increased sharing of components between the two teams within the confines of technical regulations.

This partnership has drawn criticism from various quarters, including McLaren CEO Zak Brown. The latter, over the last few months, has expressed his concerns about the relationship between Red Bull and sister team AlphaTauri. The McLaren boss went as far as labeling both the outfits as “A and B teams.”

However, Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner, has spoken up in defense of the ownership group, Red Bull. The 50-year-old urged the motorsport community to appreciate the support and commitment the organization has provided to both teams. Speaking during the recent F1 Testing in Bahrain, Horner said (via Autosport):

“I think Red Bull should actually be applauded for the support and the commitment and the jobs that they’ve provided through the good times, and particularly the bad times. So for me, it really is a non-issue.”

However, the F1 community wasn’t elated by Horner’s statements. Fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticize the Briton’s defense of Red Bull. One user commented:

“Applauded for what? For cheating?”