Comeback in Austin “was really strong”: Horner highlights factors behind Red Bull’s turnaround – Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner has credited “several factors” for the team’s vital turnaround after Max Verstappen’s solid performance at the United States Grand Prix in Austin.
The race marked a critical moment in the ongoing battle for the 2024 Formula One Drivers’ Championship between Verstappen and his fierce rival, McLaren’s Lando Norris. The result at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) not only consolidated Verstappen’s lead, but also restored Red Bull’s momentum in the title fight.
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A decisive step towards the world title?
The 2024 Formula One season has been an intense, season-long battle between Red Bull’s Verstappen and McLaren’s Norris. Heading into the weekend in Austin, the pressure was mounting on both drivers, with Verstappen holding a relatively comfortable, but not insurmountable, 52-point lead over Norris.
Speaking after Sunday’s US Grand Prix, Horner emphasised the importance of the race result in the wider context of the championship.
“Nothing is ever really safe or comfortable, but this was important for us,” he said, reflecting on the relief of extending the lead to 57 points. For the first time since the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, Verstappen had overtaken his title rival, an important psychological and practical boost in the championship battle.
By widening the points gap, Red Bull could now afford some breathing space going into the final five races of the season.
“It was important to regain the initiative,” said Horner. With the points gap now standing at 57, Red Bull have tipped the balance back in their favour, although the competition remains fierce.
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Red Bull’s Austin turnaround: Performance, fine-tuning and strategy
Horner credited the team’s performance improvements for Red Bull’s success in Austin, saying the RB20 had undergone remarkable developments. He explained, “How did Red Bull manage to turn the corner? There were several factors. It’s a pure performance improvement, but we still have to learn and fine-tune. Nevertheless, the comeback in Austin was really strong.
Verstappen’s pace at COTA demonstrated Red Bull’s ability to not only overcome issues from previous races, but also reassert their dominance over McLaren. The Dutchman felt more in control of the RB20 from the start of the weekend, signalling a shift in Red Bull’s fortunes as they continue to develop the car for the remaining rounds.
Horner highlighted Verstappen’s comfort and increased competitiveness in Austin: “We beat our direct rivals in the Drivers’ Championship by five points. That looked very difficult three weeks ago. But form changes from day to day, track to track.”
The timing of this resurgence was also crucial, given the challenges posed by the sprint race format. Verstappen was able to capitalise on the situation in Austin, securing not only a strong race result but also valuable points from the sprint event.
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McLaren’s struggles: Stella blames ‘multiple factors’ for missed opportunities
While Red Bull celebrated a strong result, McLaren were left to contend with a weekend that didn’t live up to their expectations. Team Principal Andrea Stella reflected on the disappointment in Austin, where Lando Norris, fresh from a string of impressive results, was unable to replicate his earlier success. According to Stella, there were “several factors” at play.
“Ferrari, for example, had been pretty consistent over the previous weekends, but they hadn’t maximised their potential,” said Stella.
The Italian team had proved to be a formidable opponent in Austin, pushing both Red Bull and McLaren to their limits. Charles Leclerc, in particular, was a strong contender throughout the weekend, underlining Ferrari’s potential to disrupt the title race.
Stella also pointed out that the Circuit of The Americas, with its unique combination of slow corners and high-speed sections, inherently favoured the Red Bull car.
“The very slow and very fast sections are particularly good for Red Bull,” he noted, admitting that McLaren’s MCL38 was not ideally suited to the circuit’s layout.
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Where McLaren see Red Bull’s advantage
As McLaren analyse the weekend’s performance, the characteristics of COTA seem to have exposed some of the MCL38’s weaknesses. Red Bull, benefiting from recent upgrades and a car better suited to the technical challenges of Austin, were able to execute their strategy flawlessly.
Stella commented that both Ferrari and Red Bull seemed well prepared for the demands of the weekend: “When you consider that Ferrari were already competitive [before Austin], that Red Bull had three weeks to fix the problems and then add the track characteristics, I’m not surprised that we had some problems in Austin”.
Despite the setbacks, McLaren remain optimistic about the rest of the 2024 season. Stella insisted that the upcoming circuits could provide opportunities that better suit the car’s strengths.
“I think the next few tracks will be better for our car again,” he said, hinting at the potential for a McLaren resurgence in the final rounds.
Development race: McLaren’s strategy for the home straight
While McLaren couldn’t match Red Bull’s performance in Austin, the team remains committed to refining the MCL38 over the remaining races. At the US Grand Prix, McLaren introduced a number of updates focused on the front of the car, although Stella admitted that these changes were unlikely to make a significant difference to lap times.
However, McLaren are not done yet. Stella outlined a clear plan for further development: “We’ve had a few things for the front end, but nothing major in terms of lap times. There are more parts coming in the next two weekends, so let’s see if we can improve the car with them.”
McLaren’s approach to the 2024 season has been deliberate and methodical. Rather than rolling out small updates at individual races, the team has opted to introduce larger, more comprehensive upgrade packages tailored to specific circuits.
This strategy, which contrasts with the more incremental approach of some of their rivals, has paid dividends at times, although it also means that the team can struggle on weekends when the car isn’t perfectly suited to the track, as was the case at Austin.
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The road ahead: Red Bull’s title defence vs. McLaren’s pursuit
As Formula 1 heads into the final five races of the 2024 season, the championship battle remains close. While Verstappen and Red Bull have re-established their lead in the title race, McLaren and Norris are not ready to concede defeat.
Horner’s confidence in Red Bull’s momentum is tempered by the realisation that the championship is far from over.
“It’s encouraging for the rest of the season,” said Horner, pointing to the lessons learned and performance improvements made in Austin as a sign of what’s possible in the remaining rounds.
For McLaren, Stella and Norris will need to maximise their opportunities and continue to develop the MCL38 if they are to challenge Red Bull’s dominance. With major upgrades on the horizon and tracks better suited to McLaren’s strengths, the team hopes to reignite its title challenge and push Verstappen all the way to the season finale.
The title battle may have swung in Red Bull’s favour after Austin, but in a sport as unpredictable as F1, anything can happen.
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Lando Norris and McLaren came into the USGP with huge momentum having outscored Red Bull by 129 points since the British Grand Prix. The MCL38 had evolved from just excelling at circuits with predominantly high speed corners to a genuine all rounder as demonstrated by Oscar Piastri at the stop start track in Hungary.
The constructors’ championship appeared already lost to Red Bull with McLaren now some 41 points ahead of the world champions coming into the race weekend in Austin, Texas.
As if to make matters worse, McLaren’s CEO came out all guns blazing in the southern US state, accusing Red Bull of deploying a secret ride height adjuster which could escape the attention of the FIA when the cars were in parc ferme…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
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