Red Bull F1 boss Christian Horner offers BIZARRE excuse over team's downfall

Horner, Verstappen, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

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Horner offers BIZARRE excuse over Red Bull downfall

The reigning constructors' champions are on the verge of losing out to McLaren in the championship

Kevin McKenna

Friday 11 October 2024 19:56 Updated: 20:27

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has delivered an unusual excuse to explain his team's dramatic drop-off in form.

The defending Formula 1 champions started the 2024 campaign in blistering fashion, with Max Verstappen winning four of the first five races, with team-mate Sergio Perez adding vital points courtesy of multiple podium finishes.

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However, despite that positive start, the pair went on to suffer a shock decline in performance, opening the door for McLaren to emerge as a realistic championship contender.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have excelled at McLaren this season

Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen have suffered a drastic collapse in form

Horner shifts Red Bull blame

Spearheaded by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, the British outfit finally overhauled their rivals after the summer break, and with just six races remaining this season, have a first constructors' title since 1998 firmly in their sights.

The form of Norris in particular has given Red Bull significant cause for concern, with the 26-year-old now just 52 points behind Verstappen in the race for the drivers' championship.

Both Verstappen and Perez have been at a loss to explain their recent woes, but team boss Horner has now offered a bizarre excuse to explain their slump.

Speaking to Motorsport.com he pinpointed Norris' maiden win over Verstappen in Miami in round six as the moment when Red Bull's deficiencies first surfaced: “If you were sceptic, you'd say something's changed because we went from winning races as a canter.

“I was getting grief from Stefano [Domenicali] every weekend that the TV figures are dwindling because we're set for another year of Max Verstappen and Red Bull dominance.

Christian Horner has been left perplexed by his team's recent struggles

"There was a lot of pressure coming, saying: ‘Stop winning races by 20 seconds’.

"“If one was a sceptic and somewhat paranoid, you say something's changed. Because, even when we've gone back to the configuration of the car that, for example, we had in China, we still have some of the same issues that we have experienced.

“But, in saying that, it changed for everybody, potentially. But I've never in a season seen a swing so exaggerated.

"Obviously we have to get on top of that. We have to understand it.”

He continued: “I think there's some inadequacies in some of the tools that we had and, as we started to push the aerodynamics of these regulations, the correlation between track and car - we've lost that correlation.

“I think it wasn't really until the downforce came off the car at Monza that it really highlighted where the issues were coming from.”

Red Bull Max Verstappen McLaren Formula 1 Christian Horner Sergio Perez