Horner delivers Red Bull 'sharp knives' warning

Christian Horner has warned Red Bull that 'knives will be sharper' next season after a stellar double F1 championship-winning campaign.

Max Verstappen secured his second drivers' title with 15 victories to his name after dominating the second half of the season, whilst the team itself won its first constructors' title since 2013.

But the end of the year saw Red Bull under pressure from rival teams and those who follow the sport after being found to have breached the cost cap in 2021.

A sheen was also taken off Verstappen's achievements after he refused to abide by team orders in Brazil, with rumours then circulating over Sergio Perez's conduct, notably a crash in Monaco Grand Prix qualifying.

Asked if Red Bull needed to rebuild trust ahead of the new season, team principal Horner said: "You are always learning.

"Somebody else will have an issue at some point. The higher you rise, the sharper the knives.

"We have experienced a bit of that this year. The quickest way to become unpopular in this paddock is to win, and win consistently.

"We are a subsidiary of an energy drink's company racing against OEMs and historic brands and, of course, that does not sit comfortably with some of our competitors.

"When you win 17 grands prix, you can understand that hurts our opponents and I am sure they will be even more motivated to become a challenger next year.

"They are high-quality teams, so nothing can be taken for granted in 2023."