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Red Bull not taking constructors' title for granted

Adrian Newey and Christian Horner insist Red Bull is still working hard to wrap up the constructors' © Getty Images

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• Drivers:
• Christian Horner
• |
• Adrian Newey

• Teams:
• Red Bull

Red Bull is not taking victory in the constructors' championship for granted, despite sealing the drivers' crown in Japan last weekend.

Red Bull is currently 130 points clear of McLaren in the standings, with 172 points still up for grabs, but after Jenson Button's victory at the Japanese Grand Prix closed the gap, team principal Christian Horner said his team would not slacken its efforts.

"The drivers' world championship is the first part, but obviously the second part is to retain the constructors'," he said. "With four races to go, although we have a healthy points lead, we take nothing for granted in that.

"Half the mission is accomplished. We've got four races to go and a healthy lead in the constructors' championship, but there are a lot of points available these days with 43 for a one-two finish. So even though we're ahead, that lead can diminish very quickly and that's why we're focussed on getting the most from this race in Korea next weekend."

Horner added that both the drivers' and constructors' carry equal weight for the team, even if they don't with the fans and the media.

"I think they carry equal status," he said. "I think that the drivers' is the one that the public remember and I think within the team, if you ask the guys on the shop floor, the constructors' is the one where the real pride is because they are measured against their peers up and down the pit lane, and indeed the bonus is paid on the constructors'. So I think if you ask the team, the constructors' is the one that has the real weight to it. From a prestige [point of view] the drivers' is right up there, so in reality they both have the same weight, the same value, the same prestige to us."

Chief technical officer Adrian Newey added that the team would not rest until both titles belong to Red Bull.

"I'd love to win it if we possibly can," he said of the constructors'. "We've still got a long way to go and a lot can happen in that, but if we can do the double that would be truly amazing. For that reason, it's not quite the same feeling as last year in Abu Dhabi, because last year we did it the other way around, we won the constructors' in Brazil and the drivers' at the last round in Abu Dhabi against expectation. This year it was fantastic to get the drivers' in Japan, but we've got to keep pushing and get the constructors' if we possibly can."

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