'Don't let them tell you you're too young,' says Formula 1 boss Christian Horner

By Mike Pattenden from Mail Online

The new Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel may be a German, but it's a Brit who's largely responsible for his success. Christian Horner, 37, has been team principal of Red Bull Racing since 2004, when Austrian billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz bought the former Jaguar F1 team. Born in Leamington Spa, Horner started out as a driver, having raced karts from the age of 11.
After competing in Formula Renault, Formula 3 and Formula 2, he founded his own team, Arden, for his move to Formula 3000 in 1997, before switching to management.

'It was never an issue to me to be the youngest boss in the business, and while there were some doubters who thought, 'Who's this upstart?', I was able to build a strong group around me,' said Christian Horner

Set your goals as early as you can.

I was fascinated by speed as a child, and I did a deal with my parents to take a year out to see if I could make my way in motorsport. It proved to be a very rapid education. I was having to deal with all kinds of people and learn on the job. My friends at university were doing eight hours a week; I was doing eight hours a day. It was the classic university of life, and I wouldn't change it for anything.

Don't let them tell you you're too young.

Age is no barrier. It should be down to who you are and how you conduct yourself. It was never an issue to me to be the youngest boss in the business, and while there were some doubters who thought, 'Who's this upstart?', I was able to build a strong group around me.

Understand the mechanics of organisations.

Dave Richards (former F1 boss and Aston Martin chairman) was hugely supportive in helping me develop Arden. He became a partner for a while and gave me plenty of useful advice. I moved my team up to the site of his company, Prodrive, in Banbury, Oxfordshire, and it gave me a great insight into how a big organisation functions. Getting inside those places and seeing how they operate is crucial.

Give 100 per cent.

If you have a talent, focus all your time and attention on it. Only a handful of drivers get to the top in F1, but who says it won't be you? Both Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber came from humble backgrounds, but through talent and determination they've succeeded. Cream always rises to the top.

Be honest with yourself.

In 1998 I was competing against top drivers like Juan Pablo Montoya and Nick Heidfeld and I had to admit I wasn't at their level. I didn't have the talent, so rather than keep chasing a dream that wasn't going to happen, I decided to focus my attention elsewhere.

Build from the bottom up.

Arden was a start-up - two mechanics, one part-time in an off -licence, an engineer and a part-time truck driver. From there we were able to create the most successful team in F3000 of that era.

Take risks.

I had a good sponsorship package from a Russian oil company, but I bought back the shares, took full control of the business and went for it by employing two top drivers. Financially it was disastrous. I was hustling deals just to keep the cars on the track and pay the engineers, but I had nothing to lose. It was stressful, but I had few overheads and no family commitments. I put every penny I had into that year and it paid o ff.

Get everyone rowing together.

You can have the best, but they have to be in tune as a team. Jaguar had a talented team, but when we took them over in 2004 they'd never managed to achieve much success. We still have many of
those people here. It was a matter of getting them to pull in the right direction.

Go for the top talent.

My strategy in F3000 was to go and find the best mechanics, the best technicians and the best drivers. I took that into Red Bull, particularly when it came to employing Adrian Newey to design the car, because he's the best guy in the business.

Encourage team spirit.

The commitment and sacrifices made within Red Bull this season have been phenomenal. We had receptionists volunteering to jump on a plane with a component to make sure we could put a competitive car on the track. In Istanbul a rear wing arrived minutes before the qualifying session, allowing Mark Webber to take pole. There are a lot of unsung heroes here. The driver is just the frontman.

Don't look for scapegoats.

Stability and continuity are key factors in success. Jaguar had a revolving door of management, and that's not our way. We win as a team and lose as a team. Once you're in a blame culture you're on a slippery slope.

Think outside the box.

If you're not a Ferrari or a McLaren you have to rely on creative solutions. The car is e ffectively a prototype at each race, and it's relentless. Measures have been introduced in F1 to restrict spending, which is good. We've been prudent and successful. The gap has narrowed, because we have thought creatively and innovatively to ensure every penny spent is justified.

Back your instincts.

Race strategy is vital and we've developed complex software that runs through thousands of permutations dependent on the scenario, but sometimes you have to go with your gut instinct. In Singapore we pitted Mark early under the safety car when logically it wasn't the right thing to do. It was a gamble, but the upside was he finished on the podium rather than sixth.

Don't play favourites.

It was important that Mark and Sebastian could see they were getting the same support and equipment. When you have two guys competing for the biggest goal in motorsport, tension is inevitable, but they brought the best out of each other. We didn't favour either one, and if we had we'd have lost the championship. Mark and Sebastian had a long discussion after the season ended, and they're fine. We've seen how teams can be split by issues between drivers, but I'm confident that won't be the case next season.