Horner sees two Red Bulls outside top-ten: 'Bit of a distorted picture'

Red Bull Racing was so dominant last year that we saw an RB19 at the top of almost all free practice sessions. How different it will be in 2024. In Imola last weekend - despite pole and a win for Max Verstappen - the Austrian racing stable was already struggling and things are not going smoothly in Monaco either for the time being. Christian Horner does not seem too worried.

In between the first and second free practice sessions, Horner was asked if there are any weaknesses in this car that are now coming to light, as competitors have caught up with Red Bull and there is now a real need to get the most out of it. The top man did not really address that, but he did say:

"I think there's always a pressure to improve, and nobody puts more pressure on ourselves than within the team," stated Horner, who denied that Red Bull felt less pressure over the past year and a half. "I think that we're seeing convergence and we're seeing different types of venue, different compounds of tyre as well. And I think form will fluctuate from circuit to circuit."

VT1 Monaco 'skewed'

"I think that, obviously, the Friday at Imola, the car was tricky to drive, and I think the team did a great job in turning that around, and Max was outstanding to get the pole and the victory," Horner said.

The team boss is further - like Helmut Marko - not too worried that two RB20s finished outside the top ten in FP1. "Today is a little distorted by some teams running three sets of tyres, including the soft tyre. But let's have a look this afternoon and FP3, because obviously, this race is all about qualifying."

This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy