Horner highlights pressure on Red Bull updates: 'Need bang for the buck'

Besides an improved floor, Red Bull is likely to modify the RB20's front wing in Austin. All in all, these updates should allow Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Perez to immediately get more performance out of their cars.

Red Bull need improvements

With the end of the season approaching and the budget cap in mind, Red Bull cannot really afford for the updates to fall short of expectations. A huge amount rests on the upgrades. The team boss points out that Red Bull is certainly not the only team bringing updates. Ferrari is reportedly coming with a package of updates, while McLaren and Mercedes will also make adjustments.

"We want to build on the understanding since Monza and take a car that is well balanced between both of its axels. That inspires the confidence of the driver," Horner stated in the F1 Nation podcast, who also pointed out that the track has been resurfaced and there is a sprint weekend. "We have to hit the ground running. But the team has been working incredibly hard on understanding the issues and hopefully getting remedies on the car for Austin."

Red Bull has a handicap

Another disadvantage for Red Bull is that the team won the world title in the constructors last season and remained on top when the latest wind tunnel hours were locked in. As a result, Red Bull have the least amount of development time. "There is a handicap system. And cost cap, you have to think very carefully about where you are going to apply your money. You need to have bang for buck. Gone are the days when you keep throwing different solutions at things. You cannot afford to do that. You have to be selective in what you hit the production button on," Horner said.

This article has been created in collaboration with Matt Gretton