Red Bull doesn’t feel like it has made a “massive step” for the 2023 Formula 1 season, says Chief Engineer Paul Monaghan.
The Milton Keynes-based squad has started the current campaign on a strong foot, taking 1-2 finishes at the opening two rounds of the year.
The impressive start follows its dominant 2022 season in which it secured 17 grand prix wins from 22 races.
Rivals of the Red Bull team have labelled the RB19 car as being in a different league to the rest of the competition.
But Monaghan doesn’t think that much has changed this year compared to 2022.
“It doesn’t feel like we’ve made a massive step, as such,” he said.
“There was genuine concern, as you approach any first test, first race, whether we are as competitive as we want to be.
“With all the brilliant people in Milton Keynes, we’ll make the best car we can, we’ll make the most progress we can. We’re really judged to our opposition, aren’t we.
“If our opposition make a bigger step, we don’t come out on top.”
Red Bull endured a more turbulent outing last time out in Jeddah as Max Verstappen was forced to exit qualifying early due to a drive shaft issue.
The Dutchman recovered from 15th on the grid to second in the Grand Prix while team-mate Sergio Perez took the race win.
Although it looked comfortable during the race, Monaghan highlighted that Verstappen’s qualifying issue was a reminder that the team can’t get complacent.
“It’s been demonstrated, the depth of talent in Milton Keynes, that we have arrived in the situation we’re in,” he said. “We’re very lucky.
“Obviously now we’ve got to hold onto that, others will try to catch us. There’s scope for them to pass us. It’s really a case of not resting on our laurels, not becoming complacent.
“We saw [during qualifying] what happens if we have a small error. It’s anything but a done deal.”
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