The team leader Red Bull, Christian Horneradmitted that he felt that the fourth world championship of Max Verstappen This seemed to be a difficult task during the Italian Grand Prix due to the great threat from McLaren.
The RB20 was the most powerful car in the season-opening races, and it seemed highly likely that Verstappen and the team would continue their streak of dominance, after 19 wins in 22 races in 2023.
But Red Bull's turn as a dominant force ended at the Miami Grand Prixwhen the team started having problems with the balance of the car. That same week, McLaren took a leap forward with a significant package of improvements that enabled Lando Norris win his first race.
Verstappen managed to win three of the next four races, but then began a 10-race winless streak as , Ferrari And Mercedes They took turns at the front and the first of them took the advantage in the constructors' championship which it still retains today.
But as Verstappen won his fourth consecutive drivers' title in Las Vegas, team principal, admitted he feared the Dutchman's chances would plummet after the Italian Grand Prix, where Red Bull suffered their worst weekend to date.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, speaks with Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner.
Photo: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
When asked if he agreed with Verstappen's comments, For 70%, Red Bull did not have the fastest carHorner responded: “I would say that's pretty much true. From Miami, I would say it's a turning point.”
“The car was very difficult to drive, but he was able to adapt and make the most of it. I think we improved in the last few races, but at Monza it seemed like the championship was slipping away from us.”
“There was still a lot of world championship ahead of us and we were at a significant disadvantage compared to McLaren, Ferrari and even Mercedes at that time,” he added.
While Monza was Red Bull's lowest point, with Verstappen 38 seconds behind Charles Leclerc in sixth position, it was also the start of a solution to the RB20's balance problems. Red Bull never recovered the full gap on McLaren, but Verstappen and the team managed to achieve enough results to prevent Norris' return.
“The engineers worked tirelessly, and the men and women of the factory worked many hours, early mornings and weekends, to continue to get performance out of the car,” he said .
“For me, the turning point was Austin, with the victory in the sprint race, the front row of the grand prix and the podium he got there. And then, of course, Brazil. [donde Verstappen ganó una carrera en mojado saliendo desde la 17ª posición de la parrilla] It really was the highlight in many ways, it was such exceptional driving that it was match point,” concluded Horner.