After winning 21 out of 22 races in 2023, Red Bull has failed to win even one in the last eight outings. This drop in performance has been hard for the Milton-Keynes-based team, and its Constructors’ Title defense looks to be under threat. Team Principal Christian Horner accepted McLaren’s dominance, and outlined his expectations moving forward.
McLaren, thanks to its successful upgrades throughout 2024, has a 41-point lead over Red Bull in the standings. Horner, as a result, came out with a damning verdict on the current pecking order.
“McLaren is the benchmark at the moment and we have to make up some of the gap,” he said to AS.
With only six rounds to go in the 2024 season, Verstappen holds a 52-point lead over McLaren’s Lando Norris. Horner believes that Red Bull doesn’t have enough ammunition to help the 27-year-old hold on to that without making changes.
Christian Horner: “We were better in Baku and Singapore. So there will be a lot of late nights in Milton Keynes. I hope we will also make progress on more conventional circuits, McLaren is the benchmark at the moment and we have to make up some of the gap.”
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That said, the Briton is hopeful that the team can turn its fortunes around at the upcoming US GP. Horner explained that their performances in Baku and Singapore had given them some answers about what had been going wrong with the RB20’s concept.
“We were better in Baku and Singapore. So there will be a lot of late nights in Milton Keynes. I hope we will also make progress on more conventional circuits,” he added.
Team advisor Helmut Marko also teased a significant upgrade package for the race in Austin next weekend that could bring Verstappen‘s title defense back on track.
Marko predicts Verstappen dominance from US GP onwards
Earlier this year, Red Bull explained that they had reached a developmental ceiling with the RB20. Unable to extract more pace from the car, their rivals quickly overtook them. Marko also noted that they inadvertently moved the RB20 away from Verstappen’s preferences, leaving the struggling Dutchman unable to adapt to the car.
“He [Verstappen] can’t use a car that understeers,” said Marko as per RacingNews365. “What bothered him most was that the car oscillated between understeering and oversteering and was unpredictable for him.”
A key issue plaguing Verstappen’s performance has been the RB20’s balance. To address this, Red Bull will introduce an upgraded floor in Austin. Marko confidently said, “Max will be driving in his own class again.”
The upcoming American triple-header—Austin, Mexico, and Sao Paulo—will be crucial for the Dutchman’s title defense. As it stands, however, Verstappen only needs to finish at least P2 in the remaining races to secure his fourth consecutive World Championship.
