Christian Horner opens up about Red Bull upgrade plan for rest of 2024 season, compares it with VCARB

Red Bull faced defeat in two of the last three races, with Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc claiming victories in Miami and Monaco, respectively. Norris narrowly missed out on back-to-back wins, finishing just 0.7 seconds behind Max Verstappen at Imola. 

Red Bull's struggles seem pronounced on low-speed, bumpy circuits requiring extensive kerb usage. However, team chief Christian Horner has clarified Red Bull's decision not to introduce significant F1 upgrades in 2024, opting for an "iterative" approach to address recent challenges. Interestingly, Horner noted that sister team Visa Cash App RB, using the same suspension, hasn't encountered similar issues.

While speaking with media he said, “I think it’s a continual process. So, I think quite a lot of focus will now happen or will now take part on ‘Okay, why have we had these ride issues? Why is the car struggling on the kerbs?’”

“The VCARB car is running with our suspension from last year and didn’t seem to have the same issues. So, you know, we need to understand, is it something that we’ve introduced?”

“You have to be very selective”, says Christian Horner 

Red Bull's dominance under these regulations has been evident, with only four race defeats since last year's commencement. Given this track record, it's unsurprising to hear Horner acknowledge that Red Bull is approaching the "law of diminishing returns" concerning further development.

“Well, I think we’re a bit more iterative. So obviously, we’ve bought some pieces here and there, and they’ve done what they’ve said on the tin. But when you start to get to the top of the curve, you get into a law of diminishing returns in terms of the amount of development that is earning its place on the car. And of course, with the cost cap now, you have to be very selective of when you introduce those upgrades”, says Horner.