Red Bull’s Christian Horner Unfazed: Verstappen’s Claims of Being Caught are Unwarranted in Formula 1
As the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix approached, Red Bull’s dominance seemed to be waning under the current ground effect regulations, with increased competition from rivals. Max Verstappen, the current Formula 1 champion, suggested that the team should not view being caught up as “normal.” However, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner staunchly defends his team’s position, emphasizing that they still possess the fastest car in Formula 1.
Verstappen had an impressive start to the season, securing seven consecutive pole positions. However, he failed to replicate this performance in the following four rounds. Horner attributes this to the natural convergence of teams under stable regulations, citing their remarkable campaign last year as an anomaly. Verstappen, on the other hand, urges his team to strive for improvement, stating that they shouldn’t be complacent about their current performance.
“We always want to be better, and that’s why I bring that up,” Verstappen said in the build-up to the Austrian Grand Prix. “I could also say: ‘Yes, we won, so it’s fine.’ But of course, I don’t look at it that way.”
At the Red Bull Ring, Verstappen initially lived up to expectations, securing pole position and taking an early lead in the main race. However, a 6.5-second pit stop allowed Lando Norris’ McLaren to close in, setting up a thrilling duel between the two drivers. Despite suffering a puncture, Verstappen managed to recover and finish fifth.
Horner drew encouragement from Red Bull’s performance, citing their strong qualifying pace and race performance. “I think we had a stronger weekend than Barcelona here, in terms of car pace and performance,” he noted. Horner believes that the final stint, where Norris pressured Verstappen, was not representative of the overall race and that Red Bull had the upper hand over McLaren.
When asked if McLaren now had the edge over Red Bull, Horner rebutted, “Well, he did four laps on a Soft tyre that would have been good enough for pole yesterday. He won the Sprint race convincingly, had an eight-second lead before we had a problem with the pit stop. I thought we had them covered this weekend.”
Horner dismissed the notion that Red Bull expected to dominate solely based on their one-lap advantage, but acknowledged that they “expected to win” under normal circumstances. The team principal reiterated his view that the increased competition was inevitable, rather than a result of Red Bull becoming complacent.
As Formula 1 enters the midpoint of its 2023 season, the competition between Red Bull, McLaren, and other teams is heating up. With Verstappen holding a comfortable lead in the Formula 1 standings, the upcoming races will be crucial in determining whether Red Bull can maintain their grip on the championship.
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