Christian Horner leads rowdy Red Bull F1 title celebrations after Japanese GP

25 September 2023 , 11:33

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Red Bull's title party started after the Japanese Grand Prix (Image: HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

Christian Horner led the wild Red Bull celebrations in Japan after Max Verstappen's victory at Suzuka secured another slice of Formula 1 history for his team.

The Dutchman led the Japanese Grand Prix from start to finish to add another 25 points. Sergio Perez did not finish the race, but it didn't matter in the end as Verstappen's haul was enough alone to secure the championship.

It set another new record for a Red Bull team used to breaking them by now. There are six full race weekends still to go in 2023 – no team has ever wrapped up the title with that much action still to be played out.

The party began at Suzuka the moment Verstappen took the chequered flag. With the Mercedes cars not in the podium places, it was clear that they were not going to score enough points to keep themselves mathematically in with a chance of the championship.

Engineers and mechanics embraced one another in the garage and began jumping around and cheering. Team principal Horner joined Verstappen on the podium to collect the constructors' race-winners trophy and sprayed his staff gathered below with champagne.

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The team's usual post-race photoshoot had an extra layer of celebration to it as Red Bull cans were sent flying everywhere, soaking everyone in the vicinity. But the party did not end at the track.

It was carried on late into the night in Japan. Horner posted a video of Red Bull staff gathered by a bar, behind which he was stood apparently serving drinks to his colleagues.

Horner celebrated on the podium (HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

He later joined colleagues for an afterparty in Japan (christianhorner/Instagram)

One staff member was playing a guitar and leading his colleagues in a rendition of 'Wonderwall'. Horner himself enthusiastically joined in and shared footage of the celebrations on social media, after paying tribute to all Red Bull Racing staff as he reacted to the title success.

He said: "It's been the most amazing race for us, the most amazing year. It's all testimony to these guys and all the men and women back in the factory at Milton Keynes, and to Red Bull, and all our partners.

"It is the collection of an incredible effort of everybody doing their best to achieve results like we've done. Of course, you know, Max is just on another level at the moment. So today was an incredible performance."

Verstappen has not yet made sure of the drivers' title but, thanks to Perez's DNF in Suzuka. He could secure it in the Qatar Sprint race on October 7. If not, he will be odds-on favourite to do so in the Grand Prix the following day.

Daniel Moxon