Christian Horner: It’s going to be a tight battle between the teams

This week, the summer break comes to an end and the teams are getting ready to take their places on the grid again. With several hundred points on the scoreboard, the top four teams in the championship share dominance. A situation that even the constructor champion Red Bull knew they couldn’t avoid.

The domination comes to an end.

For two seasons now, Max Verstappen has been racking up victories. At the top of the standings for several years, yet everything seems to be up for grabs in 2024. Many expected the Dutch driver to maintain his dominance throughout the season. However, reality has been different. This year has already seen seven different drivers win races in Formula 1, in just 14 rounds.

In the constructors’ standings, the truth is quite different as well. During the 2024 season, the competition tightens between the teams and four teams now dominate the championship. With only 42 points between the first and the second, Red Bull may have to say goodbye to its title this year. The once apparent dominance of Max Verstappen and Red Bull is now being challenged by their rivals McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes.

Christian Horner, Red Bull team principal, still seems satisfied with this change. “I think it’s great for the sport, and it was almost inevitable. When you have continuity in the regulations, you always get convergence,” he admitted. “I remember when I joined Formula 1, Ron Dennis was hammering home this message in 2005. Convergence has always brought the teams closer together. Of course, we have a major regulation change in 2026 that will lead to divergence, but until then, the next 18 months will be intense between the four teams.”

Max Verstappen’s last victory dates back to the Spanish Grand Prix in June, and since then, the other teams have continued to share the front of the grid. The Dutch driver has still managed to increase his lead in the drivers’ championship. However, the same cannot be said for Red Bull, due to the difficulties encountered by Sergio Pérez.

A plan that is already taking shape

Like many teams on the grid, the plan to follow for this second part of the season has already been decided by Red Bull. Similar to Ferrari, the Austrian team wants to focus on team performance. And it will start as soon as the Dutch Grand Prix. “Increasing the lead before the summer break will allow Max to rest more,” Christian Horner had previously declared. “For us, the focus is on the constructors, where we have still lost seven or eight points [in Spa]. We need to turn the situation around coming out of the break in Zandvoort.”

Despite the recent events, the team principal remains optimistic about Red Bull’s prospects. He believes that the team has the opportunity to address its weaknesses and come back stronger for the rest of the season. At the moment, Sergio Pérez’s inconsistent performances are jeopardizing their position in the championship, but the situation could change if the relationship improves. “I think we know where we need to focus and improve, and that’s what everyone is doing,” explained Christian Horner. “We took pole position with six tenths in hand [at Spa] – it was a very dominant display. We took a penalty here, we limited the damage, and with Checo, we need to work with him and continue to support him to understand what’s not quite working at the moment.”

As the season progresses, fans will have to expect a closer competition, with Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes all vying for the top spot. Teams are no longer intimidated by Red Bull this year and are now aiming for the top of the standings. Red Bull, for its part, wants to regain its advantage, but with regulations remaining stable for several years, other teams have had time to adapt. The team will have to hope to find a miracle solution to its problems.