Horner: No ‘defeatist’ mindset at Red Bull despite struggles

Despite a subdued start to the 2025 Formula 1 season, Red Bull is charging ahead with unwavering determination, refusing to let a “defeatist” mindset take root.

The Austrian team faced a tough Chinese Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen finished fourth, over 16 seconds behind McLaren’s race-winner Oscar Piastri.

Yet, team principal Christian Horner remains steadfast, emphasizing that the squad has the tools and talent to bridge the gap to their rivals.

With a critical meeting planned, Red Bull is poised to harness its resources and Verstappen’s relentless drive to turn the tide.

The Shanghai weekend underscored McLaren’s early edge, as Verstappen struggled to keep pace in the opening stint, dropping 18 seconds behind Piastri by his first pit stop.

However, a late surge on the hard tyre showcased the RB21’s potential, narrowing the gap to 16 seconds by the finish. Horner pinpointed the initial phase as the crux of their woes.

“Well, I think that first stint was where we gave away all the time,” he told Sky Sports F1.

“Max came in for the pit stop, what 18 seconds behind Oscar [Piastri], and at the chequered flag, he was 16 seconds behind. So, on the hard tyre, we were pretty competitive.

“So, I think we need to understand… maybe we overcompensated based on the degradation we saw yesterday.”

Unpacking the Data, Unleashing the Pace

Horner highlighted Verstappen’s late-race heroics—overtaking Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc – as a silver lining amid the struggle.

“For sure, we need to find a little bit more pace, then just life is easier. But he drove another great race today,” Horner said.

“He caught the Ferraris, he passed Charles. And yeah, a fourth-place finish and important points, but we know we’ve still got plenty to do.”

This resilience fuels Red Bull’s optimism, with Horner confident that the data gleaned from China will unlock performance gains.

“I think we’ve got some very good data out of today,” he noted, signaling a proactive approach to refining the car.

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko echoed this sentiment, attributing Verstappen’s cautious start to lingering concerns from the Sprint’s tyre wear.

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But the Austrian also revealed plans for an urgent meeting in Milton Keynes to strategize closing McLaren’s advantage, a gap that has left Red Bull 42 points adrift after two rounds.

“We are worried, but it is not like we are throwing in the towel,” Marko said.

Verstappen, meanwhile, sits just eight points behind McLaren’s Lando Norris in the Drivers’ Championship, keeping the fight within reach.

Horner’s Defiant Rallying Cry

When pressed on whether Red Bull has conceded the 2025 title to McLaren, Horner dismissed such notions outright.

“It’s race two. It can’t be that defeatist,” he replied. “I mean, we’re eight points behind in the Drivers’ Championship after two races and there’s everything to play for.

“If nothing else, last year teaches you, you can start as strong as you like, it’s how you finish. And, look, we’ve got great strength in our team.

“Everybody in the company knows we’ve got a bit of pace to fight. We’ve got the tools, we’ve got the people in order to do that. It’s just unpicking it.”

Horner also praised Verstappen’s intensified involvement, a cornerstone of Red Bull’s resurgence plan.

“Max is working harder than I’ve ever seen him. He’s more integrated into the engineering group than I’ve ever seen. As he said, he seems to be enjoying that aspect,” Horner observed.

“So he’s not getting super stressed. He’s of course, like any driver, impatient [with] performance.”

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