Christian Horner delivered bad news for Red Bull’s rivals claiming that their reduced wind tunnel time after cost cap breach penalty was offset by the team’s motivation.
It’s not like the Red Bull’s rivals needed Horner to say anything to realize that they will be eating Red Bull flavoured dust for he rest of the 2023 Formula 1 season, as the season opener in Bahrain gave a clear indication of things to come as Max Verstappen was almost 40s ahead of the first non-Red Bull car, Fernando Alonso in third, while Mercedes were losing out by 1s per lap on the Bulls and not to forget the Ferraris busy chewing tyres before Charles Leclerc’s SF-23 gave up.
So for those who thought that Red Bull will be slowed down by the penalty received for breaching the 2021 cost cap, a $7-Million fine and 10% reduction in wind tunnel time, the painful reality is that didn’t happen… They have gone faster.
Horner, quoted my Motorsport.com, explained that the penalty has actually driven his team to become better in 2023, and when asked how it affected them; he said: “I think it focuses everybody’s minds, and it drives efficiency.
“What we lost in wind tunnel time we gained in motivation,” he insisted, and added: “It is something you have to view over 12 months because it is not just this year’s car, it is also next year’s car.
“I think the really positive thing for us is that we are not dealing with a fundamental issue that soaks up that resource and time.
Red Bull still have to deal with the penalty for the coming months
“It was vital for us to be able to cope with that penalty and to have a solid starting point. That is what the team has done a great job in achieving,” the Briton explained.
The 10% reduction in Red Bull’s aero development time applied for 12 months, and Horner stressed it would be important to deal with it properly over the remaining time when the penalty is still in effect.
“We have another eight, nine months still to go with it,” he pointed out. “It means that we’re going to have to be very selective and extremely efficient in how we develop this car and, of course, next year’s car.
“We’re expecting stable regulations but, of course, it is a disadvantage, a handicap, to have not only the incremental difference that you have by being in first place in the championship, and on top of that a further 10%.
“So we’re 15% less time than [Ferrari] and 20% less than Mercedes and so on. That’s a significant number,” the Red Bull boss said.
“So for us it’s all about being efficient and being effective in what we apply and choose to test in the tunnel, and how we develop both the RB19 and the RB20 car,” Horner concluded.
Red Bull had a perfect start for the 2023 season, utterly dominating in Bahrain with a one-two for Verstappen and Sergio Perez, and the team now are getting ready for the second race, the 2023 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix in Jeddah this weekend.