Christian Horner, the boss of Red Bull, is confident that his team still possesses the fastest car in Formula 1 on the entire 2024 grid. Despite Max Verstappen’s assertion that being caught should not be considered “normal,” Horner remains steadfast in his belief. The recent Austrian Grand Prix seemed to suggest that Red Bull’s dominance under the current ground effect regulations was coming to an end, as they faced increased competition. Verstappen, who had secured seven consecutive pole positions at the start of the season, had not been able to maintain his position at the front in the previous four races. Horner maintains that Red Bull’s exceptional performance last year was an anomaly and that it is only natural for convergence to occur when regulations stabilize. However, Verstappen, who has capitalized on his rivals’ weaknesses to extend his championship lead, urged Red Bull to stay vigilant and not become complacent. He acknowledged that the competition has gotten closer and that it is important for Red Bull to strive for continuous improvement.
Despite the setback in Austria, where Verstappen suffered a puncture and finished fifth after a tense battle with Lando Norris, Horner remains optimistic about Red Bull’s competitiveness. He believes that the team had a stronger performance in Austria compared to Barcelona, both in terms of car pace and overall performance. Horner pointed to the qualifying performance and the Sprint race as evidence of Red Bull’s strength. He also dismissed the final stint of the race, where Norris was pressuring Verstappen, as not being indicative of the true performance of the Red Bull car. Horner is confident that Red Bull had the upper hand over McLaren throughout the weekend.
In conclusion, Horner is unwavering in his belief that Red Bull still possesses the fastest car in Formula 1. Despite facing increased competition and Verstappen’s caution against complacency, Horner sees the team’s performance in Austria as a positive sign of their renewed competitiveness. He remains confident in Red Bull’s ability to outperform McLaren and other rivals on the grid.
When questioned about whether McLaren now had the upper hand over Red Bull, Horner responded by saying, “Well, he completed four laps on a Soft tire that would have been sufficient for securing pole position yesterday. He convincingly won the Sprint race and had an eight-second lead before encountering an issue during the pit stop. We believed we had them under control this weekend.”
Horner denied that Red Bull anticipated complete dominance based on their advantage in qualifying, but he did acknowledge that the team “expected to win” under “normal circumstances.” He reiterated his belief that the competition catching up to Red Bull was an inevitable outcome rather than a result of complacency on their part.
“When the 2022 season began, there was some intense racing with Charles [Leclerc] and others,” Horner commented when asked about the increasing challenge from Norris and McLaren. “However, in recent times, he has had to fight for every victory, especially in the last three races. But that’s Formula 1 for you, that’s the nature of this sport. It is not common to cruise to a 25-second lead.”
