Red Bull Chief Warns Of 'Flat-Out' Battle Over Next 18 Months

Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner anticipates a fierce competition among Formula 1 teams over the next 18 months.

Christian Horner, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, speaks at the Red Bull Fan Zone, a private event at Oracle headquarters, on Wednesday October 18, 2023. / Jay Janner/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Red Bull Racing team principal, Christian Horner, projects an all-out competitive showdown among Formula 1’s top teams in the upcoming year and a half before the regulation change in 2026. As the 2024 season unfolds, Horner’s comments come in the wake of intense competition from McLaren and Mercedes, which is putting pressure on the team's Constructors' Championship hopes.

Horner appreciates the level playing field attributed to the consistent regulations governing the sport. He commented, as reported by Formula1.com:

“I think it’s great for the sport, and it was almost inevitable when you get consistency of regulations, you always get convergence.

“I remember when I first came into Formula 1, Ron Dennis banging that drum back in 2005. Convergence has always brought the teams together. Of course we have a big regulations change in 2026 that will cause divergence but, between now and then, the next 18 months I think it will be flat-out between the four teams.”

Horner continued:

“Extending the lead going into the summer break for Max will give him a better rest. For us the focus is on the constructors’, where we’ve seen another seven or eight points taken off us again [at Spa].

“We need to turn that around coming out of the break in Zandvoort.”

Amidst speculation about Sergio Perez's future with the team, Horner confirmed Perez's retention for the season.

“I think we know where we need to focus and improve and that’s what everyone’s doing. We took the pole by six-tenths [at Spa] that was a very dominant display.

“We took the [engine] penalty here, got damage limitation out of it and Checo [Perez], we need to work with him and continue to support him to understand what isn’t quite working at the moment.”

2024 F1 Driver Standings Ahead of Dutch Grand Prix

1. Max Verstappen - 277 points
2. Lando Norris - 199 points
3. Charles Leclerc - 177 points
4. Oscar Piastri - 167 points
5. Carlos Sainz - 162 points
6. Lewis Hamilton - 150 points
7. Sergio Perez - 131 points
8. George Russell - 116 points
9. Fernando Alonso - 49 points
10. Lance Stroll - 24 points
11. Nico Hulkenberg - 22 points
12. Yuki Tsunoda - 22 points
13. Daniel Ricciardo - 12 points
14. Oliver Bearman - 6 points
15. Pierre Gasly - 6 points
16. Kevin Magnussen - 5 points
17. Esteban Ocon - 5 points
18. Alex Albon - 4 points
19. Zhou Guanyu - 0 points
20. Logan Sargeant - 0 points
21. Valtteri Bottas - 0 points

2024 F1 Constructor Standings

1. Red Bull Racing - 408 points
2. McLaren - 366 points
3. Ferrari - 345 points
4. Mercedes - 266 points
5. Aston Martin - 73 points
6. RB - 34 points
7. Haad - 27 points
8. Alpine - 11 points
9. Williams - 4 points
10. Sauber - 0 points