Analysis: Horner Wants to Put Fizz Into F1

Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner wants to put some fizz back into a Formula One gone flat.

"Formula One at the moment is boring," the 31-year-old Briton told Reuters ahead of the Australian season-opener on March 6.

"There are some great personalities in the sport and in our team and what we'll be looking to win over is a fan base that have been fairly depressed probably in the last couple of years," he said.

"We're going to work hard and we'll hopefully have a bit of fun along the way.

"Red Bull's objectives are different to a car manufacturers' ... there will be a different philosophy and a different approach that will start in Melbourne," he said.

Red Bull have replaced Jaguar after Austrian billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz bought the Ford-owned team in November and gave it the name of his energy drink.

Image and marketing is a big part of what Red Bull is about and the team plan a pre-race bash for up to 2,000 people in Melbourne.

Horner, who considered buying Jordan last year, believes they can take over where the Irish entrepreneur Eddie Jordan left off.

"We need more personalities. If David (Coulthard) gives Michael (Schumacher) the finger, I won't be complaining," he said of his Scottish driver who did just that in the 2000 French Grand Prix while at McLaren.

Jordan, led by their drum-playing wheeler-dealing boss, were young, flash and brash. At their peak in 1999 they were also successful, winning races and finishing third in the championship.

They were sold last month to the Midland Group of Russian-born Canadian businessman Alex Shnaider.

Joe Public

"Eddie was a big personality, an infectious one, and his team had a great deal of support," said Horner. "That's now missing and I don't think a Russian team will fill that."

"I think a real hole in the market exists for a team that can relate to Joe Public," he added.

"I think what you'll see with Red Bull, certainly during this year, is that they'll be looking to appeal to the man in the stand.

"If you spoke to the average man in the street, four or five years ago, he'd probably have identified Ferrari and Jordan -- Ferrari for the prestige and historic reason and Jordan for being the fun, outrageous in some respects," he said.

Horner, who took over in January from ousted Tony Purnell, is younger than his lead driver -- 33-year-old Coulthard. However unusual, it is not a new feeling.

He was also younger than Belgian Marc Goossens, an early recruit to the Arden team that he set up in 1997 to compete in the junior F3000 championship and that won last season's title. "I won't be judged by my age at the end of the day, I'll be judged on what I do," said Horner. "The sport needs new blood and a fresh impetus. I'm 31, I'm very competitive and I'm very hungry for success.

"I've been successful in other disciplines within the sport and there has to be a new Ron Dennis at some point, there has to be a new Frank Williams."

No Regrets

Horner has known Coulthard since his karting days and raced some of Formula One's leading lights in the past.

He said the early realisation that he was not destined for driving greatness meant he has never regretted quitting at the age of 26.

"Some people go on far too long," he said. "I was okay, but I was never going to set the world alight and I quickly recognised that my skill lay out of the cockpit.

"When I stopped, I stopped completely.

"What I achieved in racing a car is far less than I've achieved outside the car," he added. "But what racing did give me was a very good understanding. I've driven for good teams and bad teams.

"When I created Arden I did it in the manner of how I would have liked to drive for a team and really built on getting the most out of the drivers, understanding them and the emotions they go through in a weekend.

"That's what I'll be looking to implement here."

Horner's passion was fired by the gift of a racing kart at the age of 12. He won a Renault scholarship to progress through the junior categories with Formula One his goal but by 1998 realised he was wasting his time.

"There was that year with (Colombian Juan Pablo) Montoya, (Germany's Nick) Heidfeld and a very good field running in Formula 3000," said Horner.

"I'd realised from the very beginning of that year that, whilst not in the same equipment as them, I could never compete or have the commitment within the car or skill that those guys had," he added.

Montoya and Heidfeld are now at former champions McLaren and Williams respectively, and both are fighting for wins. But Horner has no envy.

"I've never had the desire to get back into the car since the day I stopped," he said.