Concerned Horner under pressure to improve: 'Going to be flat out'

The top four teams - Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes - have all won races this season. Aside from Red Bull, the top teams have had both of their drivers win a race, with just Max Verstappen winning for Red Bull. The Austrian team are now facing immense pressure, particularly from McLaren, who sit 42 points behind in the Constructors. Much of Red Bull's point defecit has come from poor performances by Sergio Perez, who has not been on the podium since China, and has had a series of DNFs this season. On Monday, the team will meet to discuss his recent performance and place within the team.

Despite Red Bull's struggles, Horner did not initially expect the competition to be this close compared to last season, but it doesn't come as a complete surprise to the Brit. "I think it's great for the sport, and it was almost inevitable when you get the consistency of regulations, you always get convergence," he said. "If you look through the history of Formula One, I remember when I first came into Formula One, Ron Dennis banging that drum back in 2005. He had the best car at that time, but convergence has always brought the teams together."

How could the regulation changes affect this?

In 2026, new regulations will come into force. Whilst Horner admits this "will cause divergence", the main focus is on the present. "Between now and then, for the next 18 months, it's going to be flat out between the four teams," he explained. Asked whether the regulation changes are necessary, given the increased competition, the team boss responded: "You can never stand still, and they've made the change for the reasons they feel relevant, so the sport has to keep evolving," Horner concluded.