Red Bull did give you wings. You could land in Milton Keynes a hungry caterpillar, desperate to climb. Then came the cocoon – Sebastian Vettel’s four titles wrapped you in invincibility.
Max Verstappen’s era brought the flight. You weren’t just flying; you were soaring. But that hungry caterpillar ate too much. Now he wanted the biggest fruit of them all. He yearned for more than nectar – he wanted the whole hive. That was Christian Horner’s fatal flaw.
After Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz died in 2022, Horner saw a power vacuum and tried to fill it.
He didn’t just want wings; he wanted the entire swarm dancing to his tune. But he clashed with a wasp that had stung many times and had plenty of venom in the tank.
There was no way they could share the sky together and it was always going to be Helmut Marko who came out on top. If Horner had focussed on giving Max Verstappen’s car better wings – both front and back – he’d still be fluttering around the F1 paddock.
Instead, he overreached. That once-smooth flight turned into a nosedive. Now the sky he once ruled has no room for him.
Cricket isn’t charity
Spare us the sentiment, Wiaan Mulder. Cricket isn’t a charity. You don’t win matches – or hearts – by bowing to nostalgia.
Brian Lara didn’t score 400 by asking permission. You were 33 runs from greatness and chose to play tribute act instead. Legends don’t need preserving – they need challenging. Records are made to be broken.