Horner says Red Bull wins are ‘more rewarding’ in 2024

Crimson Bull’s victories in 2024 have largely been extra rewarding for staff principal Christian Horner, because of the stronger competitors the staff has confronted this 12 months.

Final season Crimson Bull received 21 out of twenty-two races, ending first and second within the drivers’ championship and wrapping up each titles with a number of rounds to spare. This 12 months has seen 4 totally different groups take victories within the opening 12 rounds — Crimson Bull profitable seven of them — and a a lot nearer combat within the constructors’ championship, with Horner (pictured above embracing winner Max Verstappen after the Japanese GP in April) admitting the wins are extra satisfying when the battles are so shut.

“Once we had been profitable races by 30 or 40 seconds final 12 months it was barely much less irritating, however it’s bizarre as a result of if you’re profitable races by that margin you’re simply targeted on reliability and different parts,” Horner stated. “Now you don’t get an opportunity to consider reliability, as a result of it’s all about driving flat out.

“I believe it’s extra rewarding to win a hard-fought race — after all it’s. However ’23, I believe it’s solely with hindsight that it’ll grow to be a really particular 12 months and what was achieved, as a result of it actually was, and I hold referring to it as a unicorn 12 months — they don’t exist.

“What we did final 12 months was by no means achieved earlier than and will by no means be achieved once more. So that is much more regular Components 1 however we nonetheless have an 80-something level lead within the drivers’ championship and have prolonged our lead within the constructors.’”

Ferrari focuses growth efforts on resolving bouncing difficulty

The RACER Mailbag, July 17

Haas extends Ferrari PU deal by 2028

Horner says the drivers are having to push to their limits always in such shut battles, with small automobile developments typically capable of make an enormous distinction this 12 months.

“I believe they’re all driving on the restrict,” he stated. “I believe there’s stuff that we’ve within the pipeline that whereas we’re on the high of the curve, there are nonetheless features available.

“Inevitably when it closes up, it’s all the way down to the marginal nice particulars that make the distinction. The shape’s transferring round a bit. Mercedes had been sturdy [at Silverstone]. McLaren had been sturdy [in Austria]. We received the week earlier than in Barcelona.”