Red Bull F1 News: Max Verstappen and Christian Horner admit concerns over performance 'convergence'

Verstappen, Horner, social — Photo: © IMAGO

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Verstappen and Horner admit concerns over performance 'convergence'

Red Bull struggled last time out at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson Chief Editor

Tuesday 4 June 2024 22:00

Red Bull star Max Verstappen and team boss Christian Horner have offered their verdict on the team's chances at the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix.

Last time out at the Monaco Grand Prix, it was a very challenging weekend for the Milton Keynes-based outfit and their drivers.

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Verstappen finished a lowly sixth, for example, whilst his teammate Sergio Perez did not finish after becoming involved in a first lap incident with Haas drivers Kevin Magnussen and Niko Hulkenberg.

To make matters worse for Horner and company, Red Bull's rivals pounced on the team's poor weekend, with Charles Leclerc's victory on home soil helping to leave Ferrari just 24 points adrift in the constructors' championship.

Christian Horner is concerned over F1 rivals' pace

How will Red Bull perform at the Canadian GP?

“We have to wait and see, new surface as well I think, that might also give us some surprises," Verstappen said when previewing the upcoming grand prix.

"But it is probably also not going to be our strongest weekend because of that. But probably a little bit better than [Monaco].

“[We struggle with] any track that is bumpy or has kerbs, or you have to ride a lot of kerbs, so the street circuits will probably be a little bit tricky. But hopefully, by then we have a little bit of understanding of what is going on."

Horner, meanwhile, pointed towards the team's previous success at the circuit as cause for optimism, but did express concern over the pace of Red Bull's rivals.

"It's a track that we've performed well at previously, they've resurfaced the whole circuit again, so let's see," Horner explained.

“But Ferrari, McLaren, they're quick. It was always going to happen that there was going to be convergence."

Verstappen won the last two editions of the Canadian Grand Prix in 2022 and 2023 respectively on his way to securing his second and third world championships.

In total, Red Bull have been victorious at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on four occasions, with Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo having won the race for the team there in 2013 and 2014 respectively.