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christian horner success season red bull racing with verstappen

Horner: 'The RB19 will go down in the history books for quite a while'

1 December 2023 at 09:30
  • Ludo van Denderen

With 21 Grand Prix victories, Red Bull Racing set a new standard in Formula 1. It was just short of a clean sweep, as the Singapore race was the only one in which they suffered a defeat (Carlos Sainz won with Ferrari). In a year that was SO perfect, perhaps a very, very small blemish?

Christian Horner, at least, does not think so. In conversation with GPblog and other media, the Austrian team boss stated: "It leaves you humbled. But there's still something to strive for. And it's a useful lesson that things can change quickly. I think Singapore was a standout weekend."

'The most successful car in Formula One'

Horner cites that journalists asked him as early as the third Grand Prix in '23 whether he expected to win all the races? "To win 21 out of 22 races is insanity. For Max to have led over 1,000 laps, for him to have won 19 races, to have broken McLaren's record from 88, to have broken Seb's, our own record with Max from 2013. The win ratios, all the percentages that he's hit. This car will go down in history. Certainly for, I think, a considerable period of time, the most successful car in Formula One history."

Max Verstappen also indicated that it is going to be a considerable job to match, let alone improve on, the success in 2024. However, the Austrian team does have a chance to improve because the schedule increases to 24 races. The calendar next season is the longest ever in Formula 1. The season starts in March and will end in December.