Christian Horner witnessed Red Bull being overtaken by McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The withdrawal of Sergio Pérez allowed McLaren to immediately establish a twenty-point lead. Horner insists his team must immediately pursue, with seven Grand Prix remaining on the calendar, he is far from admitting defeat.
“We’re no longer defending, we’re hunting,” Christian Horner told the media in Baku. “We’ve fallen behind by twenty points, so now we need to attack. There are still plenty of points to be won and several circuits to come – it’s far from over.” In Azerbaijan, Max Verstappen had to concede to both McLarens, despite Lando Norris qualifying ten places lower.
“It’s frustrating that we didn’t beat him today, but fortunately, he didn’t score many points,” lamented Christian Horner. The team boss clings to the internal struggle at McLaren; despite the new team order rules, the team still seems to be grappling with problems. The principle of ‘the first driver’ does not apply in Woking.
‘Lando Norris Should Be the First Driver’
“Every team is different,” explained Christian Horner. “Our rules for cooperation are very clear. We have one driver who is fighting for the world championship. So it’s very clear that it’s Pérez’s job to support Max (Verstappen). Other teams may operate differently, but McLaren pays Lando Norris five times as much as Oscar Piastri. I would then assume that he should be the number one within that team.”
The Challenge of Managing Team Dynamics
“It becomes a very difficult problem to manage, because the team becomes divided and the rules of cooperation become very tricky,” the Englishman continued. “Everyone probably knows who number one and two are, but if you’re not open with the drivers, you end up with confusion. Midway through the season, you just have to make a choice. Especially if you’re involved in a title fight.”
