Horner refuses to give up in championship battle: 'We took a big hit'
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For more than two years, Red Bull Racing has been leading the battle for the Constructor Championship but were finally kicked off their throne in Azerbaijan. It is no longer the Austria-based team of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in the lead, but the McLaren of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. As the 2024 season currently appears, McLaren have the superior race car and Red Bull will be runners up to the constructors title. Christian Horner has not accepted defeat just yet.
Helmut Marko, Red Bull Racing's external advisor, stated in the run-up to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix that prolonging Verstappen's lead in the championship is the absolute priority. It has been suggested that the Austrian team would not entirely mind if they do end up missing out on the Constructors Championship. Although the team would then miss out on some prize money, they may see more value in the extra wind tunnel time than would be allocated for the championship winners.
Horner changes mindset as Red Bull no longer dominant
Whatever the case, Christian Horner has not put the possibility of conquering both the Driver and Consturctor Championships out of his mind, he explained to GPblog and other media. "We took a big hit in the constructors today, but we've got 20 points deficit now. So we've got to attack. We've still got seven races to go, two sprint races to go. But there's a lot of points up for grabs and a lot of different circuits coming up. So it's far from over."
Meanwhile, it is clear that the upcoming race in Singapore will not see any updates on Verstappen's and Perez's cars. After the race in Asia, there will be a three-week break before the US Grand Prix in Austin. There, Red Bull plans to use an improved version of the RB20. "We're pushing hard," Horner said. "We're now not defending, we're chasing, so it changes the dynamic again. And we're just going to throw everything at it."
This article has been created in collaboration with Ludo van Denderen.
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