Horner: Red Bull are unpopular

Christian Horner is happy to accept Red Bull have become unpopular in Formula One after setting the benchmark for others to follow.

Two years of domination have turned a team once more renowned for the parties they threw during a season than the cars they built into the class act of the F1 field.

Ahead of the final race of the season in Brazil, Horner said: "When you start winning you are very popular, but when you win repeatedly you become very unpopular. That's the nature of sport, the nature of this business, and winning grands prix tends to make up for it to be honest."

The statistics speak for themselves as Red Bull have won 23 of the last 40 races, 13 of the last 20, been on the podium 33 times from 40 races, 25 times alone this year, and won both the drivers' and constructors' titles the last two seasons.

As team principal Horner concedes, Red Bull cannot be "everybody's darlings", but whatever the thoughts of others, it is water off a duck's back.

Horner continued: "We're in people's sights, we know that. We're the benchmark, and with that comes a different pressure, with this year a different pressure to defend a championship.

"I think we've defended it more convincingly than when we won it last season, and it doesn't get any easier. There are teams with tremendous resource who are very keen to get back on top, like Ferrari with their pedigree and heritage.

"Then there's McLaren with their engineering resource. You only have to see the size and scale of their facility. But we can only focus on ourselves. We can't control what others are doing.

"Hopefully we can turn up with a good car next year and carry into it the kind of form we've enjoyed this year, one where it is a shame it has to end.

"I know we are at the end of November, but from our perspective it would be nice if it ran on a bit longer."