Sir Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull had been rivals for a long time. They had some fierce competition on the grid, especially in 2021. In fact, the 2021 season was one for the ages to remember. That was the turning point in the domination of the F1 Motorsport. Mercedes dominated the grid for eight years in a row. Lewis Hamilton was the biggest star of the turbo-hybrid era. He won six world championships in those eight years, adding to his maiden title with the McLaren team back in 2008.
Anyway, Red Bull has turned things around since last year. Moreover, the Milton Keynes outfit won 17 races last year, and they did better this year. In 2023, Red Bull went on to win 21 Grands Prix. Verstappen won 19 himself. All these glories make Christian Horner a very successful team principal. He might even get a step closer to joining Hamilton in receiving a Knighthood.
How Close Is The Red Bull Boss To Get A Knighthood?
In 2013, Christian Horner received the honor of Officer of the British Empire (OBE). That honor came after Red Bull dominated the grid for four years in a row with Sebastian Vettel. Before Max Verstappen came into the picture, the Horner-Vettel duo brought Red Bull a lot of joy between 2010 and 2013. But now the Verstappen-Horner duo looks unstoppable. As a result of all the successes in the past two years, Christian Horner gets his CBE award as part of the New Year’s Honours List of King Charles III. Now, the Red Bull boss is enjoying the status of Commander of the Order of the British Empire. It means that he got a step closer to knighthood. There is one more active F1 personnel who has received a knighthood in the past, and that’s Lewis Hamilton.
Now, the Red Bull boss is pretty close to receiving the same honor as the Mercedes star driver. Later, Christian Horner told Autosport that he is deeply grateful and honored after receiving CBE. It was his second award from the British Empire since the OBE a decade ago. Moreover, Horner is very proud of what his team has accomplished in the last few seasons. And he is hugely honored for the recognition of the Red Bull’s efforts. On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton received his knighthood at Windsor Castle in December 2021. Hamilton was 36 when he received his knighthood for racing excellence over a decade. But Christian Horner received CBE at the age of 50.
Why Is Lewis Hamilton So Famous All Over The World?
The Mercedes superstar went on to make a name for himself beyond the F1 Motorsport. He owns a sports team in the USA, has his own clothing line, even a restaurant chain. Last year, Hamilton even launched his film production house. Moreover, the first film under his production stars Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt. It is a film based on Formula One.
Even today, when he is not the most dominant driver on the grid, there’s no denying that Lewis Hamilton is the most popular face in F1. What he has accomplished over the last 15 years, very few F1 personnel can even dream about. On the other hand, Red Bull has been tremendously successful on the F1 grid since last year. After Max Verstappen broke Hamilton’s streak in 2021, winning the Driver’s championship, Red Bull has never looked back. The Austrian team has won back-to-back titles since 2022. Max Verstappen has been unstoppable, winning three consecutive titles.
