The Dutch GP was a difficult race for Red Bull to stomach, as Lando Norris secured victory in commanding fashion. Max Verstappen put in a brilliant drive to finish second, but the RB20’s limitations are clear. Christian Horner is aware that Red Bull have been outdeveloped by McLaren – and he believes one area is critical.
Christian Horner points to the McLaren front-wing
McLaren set the benchmark
There is no denying that McLaren are the fastest team on the grid. This fact was somewhat masked prior to the summer break, partly because Mercedes became competitive enough to snatch a few wins away from the British outfit.
However, when Andrea Stella’s team avoid unforced errors, the MCL38 is extremely difficult to beat.
Upgrades brought to the Dutch GP have increased the Woking squad’s gap to Red Bull, who have yet to find an answer to the MCL38’s rapid development.
Speaking to the media in Zandvoort, Christian Horner discussed where he thinks Red Bull are losing the most time:
“I think the front wing is a key area where others have found some performance.
“I think that the way the front wings are being used are quite different.
“If you look at the front wing angle of McLaren and Mercedes, they’re very, very different. Very different to the rest of the grid…
“McLaren are setting the benchmark now. That’s clear in terms of pace. They’ve been that the last couple of races.”
Big question marks about Red Bull’s development
Over the last year, McLaren have comprehensively won the development race against Red Bull. Not only have they overturned last year’s deficit, but their performance advantage is significant.
To make matters worse for the defending champions, more updates are in the pipeline for McLaren.
Considering the papaya team’s trajectory in 2024 so far, there is no reason to suggest they will slow down.
Meanwhile, Red Bull are struggling to add speed to the RB20. Max Verstappen was using older specifications last weekend in Zandvoort – such is the extent of the team’s dilemma.
Improvements are becoming increasingly difficult to come by, particularly given that a large part of Red Bull’s development budget went to the largely ineffective Hungary update package.
Moving forward, the Austrian squad faces an uphill battle in both Championships.
Ironically, their best hope could be a Ferrari resurgence. Should the Scuderia’s Monza updates prove effective, they could become a major headache for McLaren, potentially limiting their progress.
Having said that, this hypothetical is little more than wishful thinking.
If Red Bull cannot respond to the Woking-based team’s upgrade programme, the rest of 2024 could be difficult.
