Christian Horner reveals the challenges Red Bull faces in the final races of the season. The team is bringing upgrades to the United States Grand Prix to continue their battle with McLaren, but they are hindered by wind tunnel time and the budget cap. Horner hopes that Red Bull will get ‘value for money’ from the upgrades they are investing in.
Red Bull is currently 41 points behind McLaren in the constructors’ championship, and could greatly benefit from some good upgrades for the RB20. Reportedly, the team will bring an improved floor and a modified front wing to the race in Austin.
Red Bull team boss Horner explains how his team can’t afford for the upgrades not to work. Partly because Red Bull won the world title in 2023, the team doesn’t have many wind tunnel hours. In addition, there is also the budget cap, which the Austrian team must take into account.
Value for Money
“You have to think very carefully about what you’re going to use your money for,” Horner explains in the F1 Nations podcast. “You have to get value for your money. The days when you could keep throwing different solutions are over. You can’t afford that.”
Luckily for Red Bull fans, the Austrian team does have a plan of action for the upcoming upgrades. “We want to build on the knowledge we’ve gained since Monza and bring a car (to Austin) that is well balanced between both axles,” says Horner. “The team has worked incredibly hard to understand the problems and hopefully we can solve the problems for Austin.”
