Red Bull Formula 1 boss Christian Horner has revealed the Italian Grand Prix marked a “low point” which has been a turning point in solving the team’s 2024 struggles.
The reigning champions appeared on course to cruise to both titles once again this season as Max Verstappen sauntered to seven victories in the opening 10 rounds.
However, the Dutchman has gone winless across the last eight races as Red Bull has encountered a drastic regression in competitiveness as its rivals have improved.
Verstappen’s barren run – his worst drought since 2020 – and team-mate Sergio Perez‘s troubles have seen McLaren claim the lead in the Constructors’ Championship.
Red Bull’s decline reached a nadir at Monza as Verstappen lamented balance issues having made the RB20 into a “monster” as he came home in a distant sixth place.
Horner considers Red Bull’s experimental showing on Italian soil as a critical moment, though, as it helped to discover where the side had gone wrong in development.
“We already could see the issues, but I think what Monza really exposed was perhaps some of the root cause, or helped to identify the root cause of the issue,” he said.
“So I’m taking Monza as the low point and we’re starting to build out of that.”
Red Bull back on the right track
Red Bull has shown an uptick in competitiveness since then as Perez produced a podium-contending pace, while Verstappen took a shock second place in Singapore.
But although that marks a stark contrast to where it was earlier in the campaign, Horner is encouraged that Red Bull is back on the right path with upgrades promised.
“The [22-second] gap to Lando [Norris in Singapore] was significant in the first part of the race and we’ve now got the best part of a month to work hard and try and bring some performance to the car in Austin,” he added.
“When you consider where we were a couple of weeks ago, I think we have made some real progress.
“We’ve got a vein of development, and we’ve understood some of the issues with the car. I think we’re starting to address them.
“We were better in Baku, we were better here. So, there’ll be a lot of late nights in Milton Keynes.
“The McLaren is the benchmark car at the moment and we have a bit to catch up, but we’ve got the people and the capability to do that.”
Red Bull aiming to land 2024 F1 title double
Horner is adamant that Red Bull will not give up hope on retaining the Constructors’ Championship as it also aims to protect Verstappen’s 52-point margin over Norris.
“I think that we’re going to fight all the way to the end of the championship with 52 points ahead with six races to go,” he insisted.
“With a lot of races, a lot of points on the board. So, you know, there’s a lot of racing still to happen.
“We’re certainly going to be fighting hard through the next triple-header and then the final triple-header after that.”
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