Criticism of the winning team in Formula 1 is inevitable, says David Coulthard – but the Brit is concerned about the recent rise in hateful content on social media.
Red Bull enjoyed remarkable success in 2022, but also made headlines for more less pleasant reasons. In particular, the Mexican Grand Prix weekend was overshadowed first by the reaction to their penalty for exceeding the budget cap the previous year, before the team's boycott of Sky Sports over accusations of bias in the broadcaster's coverage.
It was when explaining the team's decision not to speak to Sky that team principal Christian Horner suggested he feels Red Bull are hard done by. After calling for greater "balance" and less "sensationalisation", Horner told reporters: "I think Red Bull is a cheap target sometimes."
Speaking to Mirror Sport, 13-time F1 race winner Coulthard said he understands why Horner feels that way. But he also seemed to disagree with the notion that Red Bull are unfairly treated compared to any other team that has been on top in recent years.
"I can only imagine how much stick Ferrari get in Italy every single day, for example," he said. "It's an old expression, but one Mark Webber used a lot: 'To know what it's like to be somebody you've got to walk a mile in their shoes'. Obviously, Red Bull and Christian are going to be sensitive to any criticism of what they do, because it's personal.
"When it comes to the media, they all have the right to interpret the scenario and events based on their particular vantage point. I see Formula 1 from the view of having been a driver, so there are a lot of things that I'll have an opinion on that others won't, but that doesn't mean those opinions are not valid.
"If you only ever see things from people who agree with you or say nice things about you, then that's a very blinkered view on life. I suspect McLaren are sensitive to some criticism, and Mercedes had some criticism during their dominant era as well. You've just got to accept it."
That criticism of Red Bull has not only come from column inches and broadcasted TV segments, but also from fans on social media. Tribalism has only become more widespread in F1, especially among Red Bull and Mercedes fans in the wake of the tight and controversial 2021 title fight between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
Horner, who has had his own public spats with Mercedes chief Toto Wolff, is a divisive figure himself. And, especially in the wake of the budget cap row, he was the target of a lot of personal online abuse. As nasty as social media can be, Coulthard holds the glum but ultimately realistic view that things aren't likely to get better any time soon.
"There were bullies in my school, and I'm sure there were bullies in your school," added the former Red Bull racer. "People are people and you can't put the genie back in the box. We've created all these outlets and, for those who are angry or extremely opinionated, it's an opportunity for them to talk to those who can be influenced by it.
"Then there's the 'Piers Morgan' style, where you take an extreme position and, without crossing any libellous lines, it gets talked about. You could argue that's good 'business journalism', because you're dragging people towards your articles and comments. Just because someone is an educated wordsmith, it doesn't mean they are not commercially driven. A little bit of controversy is a good way to build some hype.
"I think we all agree that everything which publicly or privately threatens an individual cannot be a good thing and cannot be accepted. I would never want to spread hate or wish ill on anybody. Of course, I'm like anybody else and there are people that I warm to and others that I don't, some of it based on good reason and with others it's a gut feeling. That's just the way we are.
"For Christian, part of being the figurehead and in the spotlight means you become a focal point and that's no different whether you're team principal of an F1 team or captain or coach of a football team. It's part of the arena.
"It doesn't mean we should accept everything, but it's the responsibility of the governing bodies to make sure education gets out there to the right people. But those who hate, it's unlikely we're going to educate that out of them – that's just the way they're wired."
