Red Bull’s Christian Horner Admits Team Must Improve to Ward Off McLaren Threat in Formula 1 Standings
Red Bull Racing’s Christian Horner has acknowledged that his team needs to address its current form slump to maintain its lead in the Formula 1 constructors’ championship. The reigning champions hold a 30-point advantage over their closest rivals, while Max Verstappen leads Lando Norris by 70 points in the drivers’ standings. However, the Milton Keynes-based team has not secured a win in five consecutive rounds, with Verstappen conceding that their recent form is “alarming.”
In the post-race press conference at the Dutch Grand Prix, Verstappen expressed his concerns, stating:
“This weekend was just a bad weekend in general, so we need to understand that. But the last few races, they haven’t really been fantastic, so that, in a sense, was already a bit alarming. We know that we don’t need to panic. We are just trying to improve the situation. And that’s what we are working on. But F1 is very complicated.”
Horner echoed Verstappen’s sentiments, emphasizing that the team is aware of its current shortcomings. He said:
“Based on performance, if it was like that at the next nine races, yes, it would be very, very difficult. But it’s the fourth time this year, only the fourth time, that Max’s points lead had reduced. It’s only Lando’s second win.”
Horner pointed to McLaren’s limited success this season, but acknowledged that Red Bull needs to find ways to improve its performance. He stated:
“We know we have to find performance. So we were 78 points, now we’re 70 ahead. We want to make sure that we extend the lead, not see it continuously diminish.”
The Red Bull team principal attributed McLaren’s improvement to their recent modifications, which have paid off, particularly with Lando Norris at the helm. He said:
“Obviously, they made a step a little while ago, and their car here particularly with Lando was very impressive. So, we need to understand where and address our deficit.”
Horner also highlighted the unpredictable nature of Formula 1, citing how quickly the tables can turn. He said:
“Well, it just shows that things have moved very quickly. I mean, we were winning races by 20, 25 seconds, and Stefano [Domenicali, F1 CEO] was asking us to slow down in the first five races. It can change very quickly, and that means it can change back the other way as well.”
The Red Bull boss admitted that his team has an issue that needs to be addressed, specifically with regards to finding a setup that works with the current Formula 1 tyres across various conditions. He said:
“We know we’ve got an issue. You can hear that Max didn’t feel that the car was responding to what he wanted. We’ve obviously got to be able to manifest that into a setup that works these tyres across all conditions. McLaren did that with Lando. We weren’t able to, but we limited the damage by ‘if you can’t win it, finish second’.”
As the season enters its final stretch, Red Bull will be looking to bounce back from its recent dip in form to maintain its lead in the Formula 1 standings. With nine races remaining, the Milton Keynes squad will be working tirelessly to address its issues and ensure that it stays ahead of the pack.
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