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Red Bull CEO Christian Horner believes that the 2023 season will go down as one of the most dominant seasons in the sport. Speaking to media including Sportskeeda, the Briton felt that the records and statistics themselves are a testimony to the effort by both Max Verstappen and the team.
Having led 1000 laps out of 1300 laps in the 2023 season, Verstappen was said to be driving the car with a suboptimal strategy to achieve that record in Abu Dhabi. Apart from clinching his third title with five rounds left on the calendar, the Red Bull champion also managed to break his record of scoring the maximum number of wins in 2023, finishing with 19 in total. The Milton Keynes squad also managed to secure a 1-2 in the championship with Sergio Perez finishing second, a feat they hadn't achieved as a team since their inception.
Asked by Sportskeeda to evaluate the dominant season both for Red Bull and their champion Verstappen, Christian Horner said:
“I think Max and the team this year that the standard that we've been able to hit to win 21 out of 22 races, to have led with Max over 1000 laps over out of 1300 or so. To have broken so many, so many records, I think he's hit yet another level. But I think the way that the team has operated across 22 different circuits or certainly 21 of them. You know operationally reliability wise, performance wise, everybody's done their part. And you know, all the men and women behind the scenes back in Milton Keynes, all the operational staff, everybody has done their bit and contributed to what we've seen in what will surely go down as one of the or certainly currently the most dominant season ever seen in Formula One.”
Horner claimed that the efforts of everyone involved, from personnel at the factory to the track team, paid off with a dominant Red Bull season in 2023. The Milton Keynes team boss believes that the team performed at an exceptional level across the board. Horner also reserved words of praise for Verstappen, claiming that the Dutch champion had an exceptional season breaking multiple records and elevating his driving.
Christian Horner feels that Red Bull will not be able to replicate a 2023 season again
Christian Horner believes Red Bull might not be able to replicate the dominance in 2023 again. The Red Bull boss said there were certain points in the season where rivals like McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari caught up. The 50-year-old team CEO felt that the car concepts would converge at some point and restore parity in the playing field.
Horner also added that Verstappen has been driving at an exceptional level and was even playing strategist for both cars in the Abu Dhabi race.
Asked whether Red Bull's rivals can match them or come close in 2024, Horner said:
“Well, I think we saw that in 2020 with Mercedes, if you remember that was their most dominant year ever. And yeah, we were able to beat them in ‘21. So for me, just so I know, there was a subtle change, but I think that you know, nothing stands still and we've seen competitors coming closer at different venues and I'm sure concepts will converge [after] stable regulations always. So I don't think we'll ever be able to repeat the season that we've had. But you know, hopefully we can take the lessons from RB19 and apply them into 20 and, and come up with a car that we can defend these titles with.”
When reminded that teams could not have a real sniff at Red Bull barring the Singapore race, Horner commented:
“It's been different people at different times as well. It’s swung around from McLaren having a surge, Ferrari having a surge, Mercedes turning up at one point. So it's moved around from venue to venue and I think particularly Max this year, he's just been outstanding the way he's been on top of the car, the strategy, the tires. We almost didn't need the strategist today because he seems to be doing the strategy for both of the cars. But as the strategist as she pointed out to me, he is considerably more expensive than she is. But yeah, his capacity within the car is quite outstanding.”
According to Horner, the 2023 season for Red Bull has been similar to Mercedes' season in 2020. He felt that the difference was made by an outstanding, relentless driver like Verstappen who has been flawless in every area, whether it has been tire management, strategy etc. Rounding off 2023, Red Bull finished the season with a total tally of 860 points, 451 points ahead of Mercedes. In the driver’s standings, the Dutchman completed the season with a total of 575 points, 290 points ahead of teammate Sergio Perez in second place.
