Horner enjoys luxury problem with Verstappen and Perez: 'This is what you dream of'

Perez versus Verstappen

In 2021 and 2022, the relationships within Red Bull were clear. In 2021, Verstappen battled for the world title with Lewis Hamilton as the team's front-runner, before competing with Charles Leclerc in 2022. In both seasons, Perez played mostly a supporting role. That seems different in 2023, with Perez having won two of the first four races.

''It's finding the line. In Formula 1 you have two competitions. The drivers, with the prestige, hype and fan interest. The constructors is where the money is distributed. Both have a value, and both rely on both drivers scoring as many points as possible,'' Horner says in the Pardon My Take podcast.

For Horner, the main thing is to stress to his drivers that fighting is allowed, but not at the expense of the team. ''It's about reminding the drivers that it's not their car, it's a team car. and they are representing the hopes of our employees and partners. As long as they respect that, so far they've been great. Then we've got no problem allowing them to race each other in a clean and healthy way.''

Luxury problem for Red Bull

''This is the problem you dream about having! It's a luxury problem. It's actually not a problem, it's great to see two guys pushing each other hard. It's great to see Checo make a step up and now he's in the third year with us. Max continuing to evolve, what we're seeing is the best of them. Over a 23-race championship, it will be fascinating.''

So far, Verstappen still holds the lead in the standings, although it has shrunk considerably after Perez's double victory in Azerbaijan. The Dutchman is now only six points ahead in the championship, so he needs to work hard in Miami to confirm his status as the team's star driver.