JUST IN: Max Verstappen refuses to accept Red Bull’s excuses following Christian Horner’s comment.
Max Verstappen denied that his Red Bull team’s performance had peaked after winning the drivers’ and constructors’ championships last year.
Verstappen had a record-breaking 2023 season, winning 19 of 22 races and sweeping the drivers’ title. He resumed up where he left off at the beginning of the season, but he hasn’t had it all his own.
After 12 races, Verstappen leads the overall standings by more than 80 points from closest challenger Lando Norris, while Red Bull are 71 points clear of Ferrari on the constructors’ leaderboard. However, wins for George Russell and Lewis Hamilton at the last two grands prix represented the first time in two full years that back-to-back races have passed without a Red Bull on top.
Team principal Christian Horner has spoken of “diminishing returns” with Red Bull at the “top of the curve,” although he has hinted at future improvements. Verstappen appears to be aging, dismissing any claim that he can’t improve.
“I refuse to believe [Red Bull have hit their ceiling] because otherwise you become lazy,” Verstappen told Auto Hebdo. “I have complete confidence in everyone in the factory.
“I know they are working hard to make developments and improve the performance of the car. But it is clear that there are many smart people in other teams doing the same thing [as us].
Earlier, Horner downplayed Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko’s suggestions about marginal advantages. Despite his expectations for improvement, he told reporters, “It’s no secret that we have less development time than the others and we’re at the top of the curve, so you’re into diminishing returns.”
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