Christian Horner names Red Bull F1 title threats in 2024

Christian Horner looks to camera with a hidden F1 car inset — Photo: © IMAGO

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Horner names Red Bull F1 title threats in 2024

The Brit is expecting a bigger fight for his team in 2024

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 1 February 2024 17:50

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has dropped the biggest hint yet that the world champions may not be able to continue their supreme dominance from last season in 2024.

The team head into the upcoming Formula 1 season off the back of two consecutive constructors' championship titles, with 2023 seeing them claim 21 of the possible 22 grand prix victories, an F1 record.

With star driver Max Verstappen setting record after record, the Milton Keynes-based outfit were able to crush their opponents, finishing 451 points ahead of second-placed Mercedes.

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While former world champion Mika Hakkinen recently suggested that it was unlikely Verstappen could keep up his dominance over the rest of the field, it is generally considered that the other teams are too far behind to be able to catch Red Bull in 2024.

Red Bull have won the championship double in two consecutive seasons

Christian Horner was able to see his drivers on the top step of the podium at all but one of the races in 2023

Could McLaren catch up to Red Bull in 2024?

McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari challenge

However, Horner is certainly expecting more of a fight, suggesting that the fact his team were able to get out of the blocks so quickly when regulations changed in 2022 may lead to what he calls 'diminishing returns' in the next couple of seasons.

“I’m fully expecting with stable regulations, [there’ll be] diminishing returns for us, because I think we got to the top of the curve quicker than others,” he told F1.com.

“The field is going to converge. For us, it’s difficult to know who that will be. Will it be McLaren? Will it be Ferrari? Will it be Mercedes? It keeps moving around behind us. But that’s what we’re fully expecting going into [this] year.”

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Mercedes Formula 1 Christian Horner