Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has hinted that the team may need to take a page out of McLaren's design book to address the balance issues plaguing its RB20 car.
After dominating the early part of the 2024 Formula 1 season, Red Bull has struggled to maintain its performance, going winless in the last six races.
In the interim, the Milton Keynes-based outfit’s three main rivals - McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes - have all claimed victories, with team papaya now breathing down the bulls’ neck in the Constructors’ championship, sitting just eight points behind, while Ferrari also remains a threat, trailing Red Bull by only 39 points.
Balance issues are at the center of Red Bull’s concerns, particularly when it comes to the RB20’s behaviour on corner entry.
Horner questions whether Red Bull has “gone a little too complex” with its RB20’s concept, contrary to McLaren which has designed “a much simpler car” according to the Briton.
“I think you’ve got to look at all aspects of the car,” he told the media in Monza last time out.
“There’s a balance issue with the car that isn’t allowing the drivers to commit to corner entry. So as soon as you calm down the rear, you do that by compromising the front. So then you end up with understeer, and then you kill your tyre that way.
“So I think what we really need to do is get the map… Or if you look at the McLaren, it almost looks like an evolution of last year’s car, a much simpler car than ours.
“Perhaps we’ve gone a little too complex and perhaps we need to simplify a few things.”
Despite Red Bull’s recent struggles, Horner remains confident that the team can quickly turn things around. He noted how the sudden performance swing caught the team by surprise but added that it also presents an opportunity for a rapid recovery.
“The swing is very quick, and that’s something that certainly we haven’t experienced before so quickly,” he acknowledged.
“But the fact that it can swing so quickly one way, it can swing back the other way as well. So, that’s what we’re focused on addressing.”
As the season nears its final stages, McLaren now sees a golden opportunity to challenge for both championships.
Lando Norris is currently 62 points behind Max Verstappen in the title fight, with eight races remaining on the docket. But with Red Bull on the ropes, it’s still all to play for in the fight for both F1 championships.
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