Red Bull boss Christian Horner has insisted that the 2024 Formula 1 championship is a “marathon, not a sprint” amid the squad’s struggles in the Monaco Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen warned the unique circuit characteristics that comprise the Monte Carlo track would hinder Red Bull’s competitiveness and that came to be the case.
The Dutchman would languish down in sixth place as a red flag on the first lap nullified strategic variance, as Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez qualified in 18th place.
Verstappen was residing in third following the opening runs in Q3, but he slipped back to sixth place as he brazed the barrier at Turn 1 and had to abandon his final lap.
However, Horner has acknowledged that its car was problematic to extract performance from throughout the weekend and is something Red Bull must look to resolve.
“I think, obviously, after the second run in quali yesterday, we lost probably three places. So, where you start, you would have finished.
“But, of course, the car has been a real handful for him all weekend and that’s what we need to focus on because we’ve got bumpy tracks with kerbs coming up later in the championship as well. So, we need to understand fully what the issues are and then look to address them.”
McLaren won in Miami earlier this month and victor Lando Norris then ran Verstappen close at Imola, while Ferrari claimed its second triumph this season in Monaco.
However, with 15 rounds still remaining in 2024, Horner is adamant that conclusions on the pecking order should not be made until the season has developed further.
“I think McLaren made a big step. I think Ferrari’s step was very subtle,” Horner assessed. “So, let’s see over the next two or three races.
“I mean, we’re now getting into the meat of the championship. So, let’s see Montreal, Barcelona, Austria, Silverstone.
“Let’s see over the next few circuits how things pan out. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Obviously, we expected this to be a tough weekend for us.”
Charles Leclerc’s maiden success on home soil has seen him close to 31 points behind Verstappen, with Ferrari also cutting Red Bull’s advantage down to 24 points.
Verstappen revealed Red Bull’s problem with absorbing bumps and kerbs had been prevalent since 2022 but not exposed amid the team’s unprecedented dominance.
But Horner has stressed that Red Bull has “never taken anything for granted in the championship” and reiterated the stance that there is still a “long way to go” in 2024.
“So, obviously, this race is won on a Saturday and that’s where we had a poor day yesterday,” he added.
“So, to understand, and obviously Friday we struggled as well, so to understand what the issues were with the ride and the curves.
“We’ve got a huge amount of data now to go away and look at and look to address for the upcoming races.”
Horner is clear that the Red Bull RB20, which features several striking innovations compared to its all-conquering predecessor, has not become a poor car overnight.
Asked whether Red Bull expected to be stronger upon F1’s return to conventional circuits post-Canada, the Briton replied: “No, we don’t take anything for granted.
“But I think those tracks will play more to the strengths of the car.
“I mean, the cars won five races and had a second place in Miami and won two Sprint races. So, it’s not like it’s gone from being a good car to a bad car.
“It’s just that this circuit hasn’t played to our strengths and we need to understand what are those weaknesses and how do we address them.”
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