Christian Horner probably loves the saying ‘Imitation is Flattery‘ as he has made comments along the same lines to Red Bull’s F1 rivals. Horner is confident that the Milton Keynes outfit will maintain its supremacy in 2024. In an exclusive interview with PlanetF1, the Red Bull boss gave his perspective on how teams will have cars resembling the RB19, but it may not help them with performance.
Horner stated, “Imitation is the biggest form of flattery. I think that’s the way Formula 1 operates. So I’m sure there’ll be several cars that look like RB19 next year.”
Horner explained that as the new regulations mature, they expect convergence of teams’ performance. Their rivals will understand the regulations better and will attempt to close the gap. However, the British boss also thinks that his team raised the bar in 2023.
The 50-year-old applauded Red Bull‘s internal collective group efforts to hit the targets of leveling up this season, be it strategy, development, pit stops, aerodynamics, mechanics, engine, and of course the drivers. He believes everything came together to contribute to their success.
Christian Horner says Red Bull won’t be “reinventing the wheel” with their 2024 car, as they look to carry their dominant form into next season ⏩️
Do you expect the gap between Red Bull and the other teams to be as wide next year? pic.twitter.com/zZqXLv1YR0
— Autosport (@autosport) December 22, 2023
However, Horner acknowledged the threat of multiple competitors such as McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Aston Martin showing signs of catching up with them and giving the team a tough time. Still, the Austrian team is anticipating these changes and bracing itself for any sort of challenge.
Christian Horner believes the astounding feats of 2023 are only going to motivate the team to maintain the same level going ahead. Red Bull may look to iron out some of its chinks that even Max Verstappen commented about and not be complacent after their all-conquering season.
Max Verstappen does not think Red Bull have reached their peak yet
After winning 21 out of 22 races, Red Bull knows they have a target on their back for next season. Max Verstappen acknowledged the same that all teams are looking to improve and showing signs of catching up with the Milton Keynes team in 2024.
Hence, Verstappen doesn’t want his team to get caught napping if some of the rival teams like McLaren make a big step over the winter. The Dutchman cited that they are looking to improve on their weaknesses while bolstering their strengths.
Naturally, the Singapore GP weekend is a big case in point for Red Bull in terms of weaknesses. The RB19 was not strong while navigating the twisty narrow streets at Marina Bay. The car setup was all over the place and Verstappen and Sergio Perez struggled all weekend to find the balance of the car.
Is Max Verstappen expecting a bigger challenge from other teams in the 2024 #F1 season?
Here’s what he had to say when that question was put to him on the BBC’s F1: Chequered Flag podcast: pic.twitter.com/bsDGpLDE8v
— The Race (@wearetherace) December 21, 2023
The three-time champion explained this as a list of potential weaknesses that they identified post-Singapore. He stated, “Low-speed is definitely not our strongest point in the car, [going over] bumps, kerbs as well, so that’s definitely a big area where we can improve.”
Similarly, Red Bull will also want to look at other street tracks like Monaco and Las Vegas where their rivals were a lot closer on performance. The Austrian outfit is looking to work on these aspects during the winter break, as their core concept for the RB20 is likely to remain the same.
Horner also mentioned that the RB20 is going to be an evolution of the RB19. Therefore, Verstappen is also aligned with this principle of continuous improvement despite dominating last year effortlessly.
