Red Bull team boss Christian Horner admits he was “very surprised” that Ferrari avoided fitting the Medium tyre to Charles Leclerc’s car for the Mexico City Grand Prix restart.

Max Verstappen had immediately got ahead of polesitter Leclerc at the start, stretching out a 4.6s lead by the time he pitted for the Hard compound at the end of Lap 19.

Ferrari, however, extended Leclerc’s first stint until Lap 32, one lap before its attempt to prolong a one-stop strategy was negated by Kevin Magnussen’s high-speed shunt.

Horner has echoed Verstappen’s admission that Red Bull had been angling for a two-stop prior to the race being suspended on Lap 35 to repair the damaged barrier at Turn 9.

Asked if a two-stop strategy had been Red Bull’s pre-race arrangement, Horner said: “Yeah. So we went aggressive today. The compounds had stepped down a compound.

“A one-stop felt, you’re hanging on a bit, so we felt we’d attack the race, and Max was very keen to do an attacking strategy even if he conceded track position to be on the right tire. And that was the plan from Friday.”

Like Red Bull with Verstappen, Ferrari opted to leave Leclerc on the Hard for the restart amid concerns over tyre degradation.

However, the Monegasque driver struggled on the white-walled compound, eventually succumbing to Lewis Hamilton on Mediums on Lap 40 and trailing home a distant third.

After Leclerc had managed to run almost half the race on the Medium, Horner says he was certain Ferrari would revert back to the middle-range tyre to attack Verstappen.

“That red flag was at the worst possible time in the middle of a two-stop. It neutralizes the race, and of course we’ve only got a Hard set of tires,” Horner explains.

“We thought Leclerc after that long first stint, I was convinced they’d take a set of Mediums because it’s worth about five meters off the start line. I was very surprised they went with the Hard tyre. You saw the Medium on Hamilton, and he was OK in the end.”

Although Ferrari reassured Leclerc that Hamilton’s Medium tyre would drop away, the Briton extended the gap in the closing laps and set the fastest lap on his final tour.

Having stormed to pole position on Saturday, Leclerc concedes that Ferrari’s troubles on the harder compound exposed the continued inconsistency of its SF-23 car in race trim.

“I think it still confirms the weaknesses of our car, where it’s a very peaky car,” he addressed. “And whenever we get out of the optimal window of the car, we are losing too much time. And that’s exactly what happened on the Hard.

“At first, I thought I could do quite a good job once we stopped. But then there was a red flag, the tyres cooled down, we went back out and the feeling was just not the same and I couldn’t find the feeling again with the tyres.

“So it’s a bit of a shame because before that it was really good, especially on the Medium. But we’ll look into it, again, on the Hard to try and understand what went wrong there, in order to improve that in the future.

“But I think short term, there’s no big fixes. I think every time we are, as I said, a bit out of the optimal window, we lose too much time.”

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner and Max Verstappen have defended Sergio Perez’s attempted move at Turn 1 on the first lap that sent him out of the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Starting third and fifth, both Red Bulls got away excellently from the grid enabling Verstappen to slice in between the Ferraris and Perez to utilise the slipstream ahead.

As Verstappen positioned his car to the inside to gain the high ground, Perez swung to the outside of polesitter Charles Leclerc to make it three abreast into the first turn.

But the Ferrari driver was caught in between the two Red Bulls, resulting in contact that sent Perez momentarily into the air and damage that brought his race to an end.

After Perez conceded that his approach was centred on gunning for victory, Horner believes that “you can’t blame” the Mexican for trying to seize the lead at his home event.

“Yeah, absolutely two contrasting emotions,” Horner said. “One absolutely gutted to see Checo go out on the first corner. He had probably his best start of the season, got the draft and the tow from the three cars ahead, and so arrived with massive overspeed.

“And you can’t blame him at his home race, going to try and take the lead of the grand prix. I think you have to call it a racing incident, because three into one doesn’t go. Charles couldn’t get out of it, he braked late.

“So yeah, frustrating for Checo and really disappointing for his fans to lose him at the first corner. And the guys did their best to get him back out. But there was just too much damage to the floor and the underbody of the car. Charles is in a bit of a Red Bull sandwich.”

Horner added: “It’s a tough moment for him. It’s in front of his home crowd, he’s very emotional. And yeah, just said to him, next race next week, you’re going for the lead in your home race, you wouldn’t be a racing driver if you weren’t going for it.”

Although Verstappen insists that Perez potentially could have afforded more room on the outside, the Dutchman has also sympathised with his team-mate’s situation.

“I understand [the move] because it’s his home Grand Prix,” he noted. “You want to be on the podium, I fully understand that he went around the outside and he tried.  

“Looking, of course, at the footage, I think he could have left a little bit more space but on the other hand if it would have worked, you look amazing. I think it’s just more that excitement of wanting to be on the podium and this time it didn’t work out, unfortunately.”

Verstappen admits that it was only until he saw the footage in the cooldown room post-race that he understood the chaos that had materialised to his left at the first turn.

“At the time, I didn’t really see a lot,” he professed. “At one point, I just saw that a car was a bit flying in the air, but then I saw the footage after the race and then you can comment on it.

“But while driving it’s a bit hard because I was mainly focusing on Charles, because I couldn’t see what was happening on the outside.”

Verstappen eventually survived a mid-race red flag restart to notch a record-breaking 16th win of 2023 by a comfortable 13.8s margin over Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

Horner is convinced that Perez would have accompanied his team-mate on the podium without the extensive damage that prevented Red Bull from returning him to the track.

“I think he would have been on the podium for sure today,” Horner relayed. “That was never in doubt. It’s a big loss for him today here with obviously a car that was capable of being on the podium.”

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has denied that Sergio Perez’s stay with the side in 2024 is dependent on him securing second place in the Drivers’ Championship.

Perez has failed to build on winning two of the first four races, dropping a seismic 226 points behind team-mate Max Verstappen, who has now taken 15 victories this year.

The Mexican’s slump, which has featured eight Q3 absences in qualifying, has enabled Mercedes’ Lewis Hamiton to apply pressure on his runners-up position in the standings.

Prior to the United States Grand Prix, Perez had only amassed five points in three rounds, prompting Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko to issue that he “needs a team change”.

But amid increasing speculation that Perez could be ousted early from his contract for next year, Horner insists the 33-year-old will remain alongside Verstappen in 2024.

Asked if Perez retaining second place would be imperative to retaining his drive, Horner said via Autosport: “There’s no pre-mandate like that.

“We’ve never finished first and second in a championship. We finished first and third a few times with Mark [Webber] and Sebastian [Vettel] and we finished it last year with Max and Checo.

“So, with this car, it would be fantastic, in such a season that we’ve had, if we could finish first and second.

“But there’s no pre-mandate on Checo that you have to finish second or you won’t be driving the car next year. That’s never been discussed.”

Horner outlined that Red Bull’s sole intention is to help Perez return to the level that enabled him to consistently battle and support Verstappen at the sharp end.

“We know Checo,” he added. “If you see Checo’s performances in the first part of the year: Bahrain, was very, very tight with Max. The race in Saudi, it was a great race between the two of them pushing each other really hard, with very fine margins.

“His race in Azerbaijan, winning the sprint and the grand prix there. Those are the kinds of performances that we know he’s capable of.

“I think it’s just getting him back into that mind frame and to get the most out of him to get him back to those levels of performances.”

Although Perez’s future is secure for 2024, Red Bull is yet to determine who will partner triple World Champion Verstappen in the team beyond the end of next season.

However, Horner assures that Red Bull have plenty of choices and won’t be in an immediate rush to resolve the matter.

“We are certainly not short of options,” he explained regarding 2025. “Of course, we’ve got plenty of time to look and evaluate that, but there’s so many factors involved.”

Horner has also downplayed drivers shying away from being prepared to go up against Verstappen, who has comprehensively defeated his last three team-mates.

“To beat Max, you’ve got to beat him somehow,” he declared. “I think the amount of interest that we have in being a Red Bull Racing driver in 2025, we’re certainly not short of options.”

Max Verstappen has urged Red Bull to get on top of the race-long brake issues that hampered him during the United States Grand Prix.

Starting sixth, Verstappen was able to progress his way through the field to take a lead by Lap 27 that he converted into the 50th victory of his Formula 1 career.

But Verstappen was made to work for his latest triumph, overcoming the threat posed by Lando Norris before surviving a late onslaught to pip Lewis Hamilton by 2.2s.

The Dutchman repeatedly complained about complications with his brakes that denied him from extracting the same searing pace he had displayed in Saturday’s Sprint race.

“I made a good start and in the first stint I tried to be patient but at the same time following for so long did hurt my tyres a little bit,” Verstappen reflected.

“But at the same time, I was struggling a lot with the brakes compared to yesterday, so I couldn’t really be that nice to the tyres under braking, just being very inconsistent.

“That basically carried on for the rest of the race, which compared to yesterday that was quite a big factor because I never really had a lot of confidence to be consistent under braking.

“But, nevertheless, I think as a team we did the right strategy, we pitted at the right time, and basically because of that I could work my way forward. I think we did everything correct today but I was hoping for a little bit more pace because I think yesterday we were a lot more competitive.”

Verstappen reveals that Red Bull had changed the brakes on his RB19 overnight, which likely contributed to the problem.

Asked when the trouble occurred, Verstappen replied: “Just lap one. It was the only thing that we changed from yesterday. That made it very difficult, I couldn’t get on top of it.

“It’s very rare that I have it in F1, but today it did come up and it just made it a bit more difficult.”

Verstappen contends that he was surprised by the difficulty he encountered, adding that it impacted his ability to preserve his tyres throughout the entire 57-lap encounter.

“I just couldn’t feel the brakes, I very easily locked the fronts and I tried to adjust it and was locking the rears,” he explained. “It was something very weird because normally I never really have issues with the braking.

“So this is just something we need to understand why that was today, because when you are locking the fronts or rears you are also killing your tyres so that definitely didn’t help compared to yesterday. Because yesterday the feeling I had with the car was really amazing but today it was not that great, but nevertheless we still won the race.”

Verstappen was heard telling his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase not to issue him with instructions whilst under braking.

The 26-year-old has downplayed the in-race discussion, insisting that he made the series of requests in a polite manner.

“On the speaking under braking, when you’re struggling already under braking and you’re not that confident I politely asked not to be spoken to,” Verstappen addressed.

“You’re laughing there but I said ‘please’ when I asked!”

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner confirmed that Verstappen’s pace was handicapped by the brakes because it also began to impact his tyre temperatures.

Horner relays that Red Bull’s data traces confirmed the only areas the three-time champion was losing out to team-mate Sergio Perez came in the braking zones.

“As soon as you start managing that issue, it interferes with your tyre temperatures and everything else. So I thought he did a very good job to do that,” Horner added.

“Difficult to predict what it cost in pace, but you could see he didn’t enjoy the same advantage of pace, if you like that he had yesterday.

“I think it was [evident] throughout the race. It was from very early in the first [stint]. He just wasn’t getting the same feeling from the brake pedal that he had previously, and certainly you could see Checo’s pace was strong again today.

“And all the deficits as you heard GP [Gianpiero Lambiase] say to him were in the braking zone, so for sure there was a bit left on the table today.”

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner asserts that Formula 1’s Sprint format can be improved by adding “more jeopardy to it”.

For the first time ever, the Circuit of the Americas played host to an F1 Sprint race. But it proved to be a drab affair, with only four drivers staying within DRS range of another car by the end of 19 laps.

The Sprint format was introduced back in 2021 as a means to spice up select grand prix weekends, with substantial tweaks having been made in the intervening years.

This year saw the number of grands prix to use the arrangement increase from three to six, with a separate qualifying session – titled Sprint Shootout – setting the grid.

Furthermore, points were also awarded beyond the top three to ensure the top eight drivers scored, ranging from eight points for the winner down to one point for eighth.

However, Horner believes that placing even more points on offer or reversing the grid would be a way to avoid the type of mundane encounter that played out in Austin.

“I think you have got to add a bit more jeopardy to it,” Horner said via Autosport.

“Whether you do a reverse the top 10 or something, but then you’ve got to add enough points to it to make it worth the drivers to really go for it.”

Horner’s comments come despite Red Bull maintaining its flawless record in the Sprint this year as Max Verstappen dominated from pole to win by 9.5s over Lewis Hamilton.

The long-serving Red Bull team boss insists that the sport must be open to making changes to improve the overall spectacle.

“It still doesn’t quite feel… [special when] you win a Sprint race,” Horner noted. “Obviously, it doesn’t mean quite as much as a grand prix, but I think that we’re in a process where we need to be open to change and evolution.

“I think that the concept is fine, but I think the execution: we can do a better job in making it more exciting for the viewer.”

But Horner has denied that the Sprint setup should be abandoned entirely, insisting that the idea remains a “good” one that purely needs to be refined in certain areas.

“I think that the concept of the Sprint is still good, I just think the execution of it, I think it’s an opportunity to do something a bit different,” he added.

“I think that there’s still more that we could do. I don’t know, it needs some thought to tune it up.”

Horner’s criticism follows COTA boss Bobby Epstein admitted ahead of Saturday’s running that the inclusion of the Sprint had not boosted ticket sales as expected at the venue.

Sergio Perez has put to bed speculation that he could lose his Red Bull drive at the end of this year, insisting that he will “100%” remain with the team in 2024.

Since winning two of the opening four races, Perez has endured a nightmare campaign, dropping 209 points behind team-mate Max Verstappen, who secured the title in Qatar.

Verstappen’s points total alone would be enough to retain Red Bull’s advantage at the top of the Constructors’ Championship, with Perez coming under increasing threat of losing second place in the Drivers’ standings.

That has prompted repeated reports during the year that Perez, who has a contract through 2024, could even be dropped by Red Bull at the conclusion of this season.

However, speaking ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, the Mexican has dispelled rumours that could materialise.

“There’s nothing I can do [about the stories], I’m fully focused on my job,” Perez said. “That really sums up my season: a guy says something about me and all of a sudden it becomes true.

“But I have a contract for next year and I have no reason to not fulfil that contract. I’m going to give my very best to it, I’ve done a commitment, but it will not be my final contract in Formula 1.”

Asked if he was certain he would stay at Red Bull next season, Perez replied: “100%.”

Pressed on whether it was individual conversations with Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko that provided him that confidence, he reiterated: “I have a contract and conversations with the team as well. There is no reason for me not to fulfil that contract.”

But having declared that his current deal will not be his last in F1, Perez was queried on the possibility of seeking a future outside the Red Bull motorsport stable down the line.

“I’m not thinking on that,” he retorted. “But I’m just enjoying it at the moment, I’m loving the challenge of getting back out of it [the recent slump].

“I’m 33, I think I’ve got some good years ahead of me. As an athlete, you want to maximise your career. That’s important to me and that’s my focus.”

Although Perez added “I’m with Red Bull and I want to stay with Red Bull, he admitted that “obviously it has to work out for both sides.”

Perez previously revealed that he has hired a mental coach to avoid the negative energy stemming from his poor run on the track impacting his relationships back home.

However, Perez has denied that he is contemplating an abrupt retirement amid recent rumours surfacing online that he could opt to walk away from F1 entirely.

“It’s not ideal when you go through a difficult period of your career,” he summarised. “But I just love the challenge of getting back at it.

“The easiest thing would be to just walk out of it. But that’s not me, that’s not who I am, and I will not give up.

“I have zero doubts about being back to my best level and that is my only target that I have in mind. I don’t even think about retirement or anything like that because that’s just the easy route.”

Max Verstappen has described the recent rumours suggesting that there’s an internal power struggle developing at Red Bull as “BS”.

Earlier this week, one report in the German media suggested that the position of Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko was under review by the company’s hierarchy.

The information cited that a summit was due to be held and Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner was one individual who was pushing for Marko to be axed from his role.

However, both Horner and Marko swiftly denied the speculation, with the latter insisting it would purely be his decision when he elects to walk away from his racing post.

Asked in Austin to address the mood within the Austrian outfit’s ranks, Verstappen said: “I saw that, from the outside, people were trying to basically talk some BS because I think the mood in the team is very good.

“Everyone knows exactly what their role is. And of course, [there were] sad times last year when Dietrich [Mateschitz, Red Bull founder] passed away [last October], but, you know, we’ve tried to keep that legacy, keep moving forward, and everyone that we have right now in the team is very important to that success that we’re having.”

“So that’s why there are also no changes for the future. I think that basically explains it.”

Sergio Perez added: “It’s just the same, everyone in Formula 1 has their own agenda – journalists, teams, they all want to create the best possible story out there.

“The team is in a great moment, Helmut is a very important part of the team, same as Christian, and I just think there are rumours around.”

Last time out in Qatar, Verstappen sealed his third consecutive Drivers’ title, securing it during Saturday’s Sprint race to be crowned with a record-equalling five rounds to spare.

The Dutchman later insisted that his mentality for the remaining races wouldn’t change as he targets adding to his current tally of 14 race wins in 2023, one shy of his benchmark number from last season.

“Well, I mean, looking at the season, yes, but it’s a Sprint weekend,” he said when asked about being labelled the favourite for this weekend’s race at the Circuit of the Americas.

“We have to nail FP1 to make sure that the cars working well for qualifying. So a bit early to say anything at the moment.”

Questioned on the celebrations that took place after wrapping up the championship, Verstappen responded: “Nothing major, just a little bit with friends. I mean it was also just nice to be home a little bit before heading into this tripleheader so nothing too crazy.”

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has denied recent rumours that stated he was trying to force Helmut Marko out of the side.

Earlier this week, Sport1.de reported that Red Bull was discussing the position of Marko, who has overseen the team’s development programme since 1999 and held an advisory role since 2005.

The German outlet further noted that Red Bull F1 team boss Horner was in favour of ousting Marko from his post and that a summit was being held this week.

But after Marko discarded the accuracy of the report to Austrian newspaper OE24, Horner has also quashed speculation ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix.

“My relationship with Helmut goes back to 1996, when I first bought the trailer from him to compete in the Formula 3000 championship,” Horner explained to Mirror Sport.

“I then competed against his team and then, when he was responsible for the junior drivers at Red Bull, I contracted those drivers from him in Formula 3000 and won the championship. As a result of that, he recommended me and provided me with the opportunity, in front of Dietrich Mateschitz [Red Bull founder, who died last October].

“Without Helmut, I wouldn’t be in the position that I am today. Like with the young drivers that he has given an opportunity, he also gave me that opportunity.

“We’ve always enjoyed a very strong and open relationship. Of course, there are things that we disagree on now and again, but I think that’s healthy.”

Horner adds that he has no intent to lobby for Marko’s removal, insisting that the 80-year-old will be the one to decide when he walks away from his racing duties.

“We speak very regularly about all aspects,” he continued. “For Helmut, it’s slightly different to how it used to be since the passing of his friend and colleague Dietrich, but he still has a very valuable role that he plays within the team and there is absolutely no intent or desire from me, or anyone within the team, to see that change.

“For as long as he wants to continue – he’s still a very spritely 80-year-old – I don’t see any change in the way that we work. Roles evolve and the business has evolved so much since we first came into the sport. 

“Operationally, I run this on a day-to-day basis. For any significant decisions, of course we confer, whether it be drivers or strategic calls. It’s a partnership that has worked for many, many years. Everybody has their role and function to play.”

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has denied rumours that he is currently involved in an internal power struggle with the side’s Team Principal, Christian Horner.

Marko has overseen the highly successful Red Bull driver development programme since 1999 and has been responsible for ushering through the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen into Formula 1.

But the Austrian has been in the headlines recently for the wrong reasons, having been handed a warning by the FIA after blaming Sergio Perez’s wayward form on his ethnicity.

Now 80, speculation has continuously persisted about when Marko will eventually opt to step aside from racing duties. Earlier this week, Sport1.de reported that his position was currently under discussion.

Furthermore, the German outlet noted that Red Bull F1 team boss Horner was in favour of ousting Marko from his role and that a summit was being held this week.

However, speaking to Austrian newspaper OE24, Marko discarded the report.

“I’m doing well. Contrary to many assumptions. I have to disappoint the prophets of doom. I have no idea where all the rumours are coming from,” he stated.

“There is no summit this week. I have a contract until the end of next year. When and how I stop, when it is over, that is up to me to decide and not, for example, Mr. Horner.”

Marko explains that upheaval has been ongoing behind the scenes in Red Bull’s racing division since the death of its founder, Dietrich Mateschitz, late last year.

“Due to the new situation, everything is different,” he discussed. “People are trying to define their power again.”

Amid Marko landing himself in hot water for his comments about Perez last month, Horner revealed that the consultant is not employed directly by the racing team.

“He’s not an employee of Red Bull Racing, so in terms of why didn’t we put out a statement, he’s part of the Red Bull Group and the Group issued an apology through the Servus TV channel,” he told Sky F1.

Despite rumours of a rift emerging between the pair, Horner publicly didn’t condemn his colleague and accepted the mistake.

“Those comments weren’t right,” Horner acknowledged. “Helmut quickly recognised that and apologised for that both publicly and directly to Sergio.

“You are always learning in life even at 80 years of age. Inevitably lessons have been learned.”

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner claims implementing mandated pitstops into Formula 1 on a permanent basis wouldn’t “make sense” for the series.

Following Pirelli’s discovery of micro cuts on its tyres after Friday’s running in Qatar, the FIA opted to reduce the track limits at the high-speed Turns 12 and 13 by 80cm.

Amid continued concerns, the sport’s governing body announced ahead of Sunday’s grand prix that it would regulate maximum stint lengths of 18 laps.

After Max Verstappen declared that F1 should strive to avoid a repeat of “forced pit stops”, Horner has also firmly dismissed the idea of adding such a rule to the regulations.

“I think you’ve got to give the freedom and that creates the creativity,” Horner said via Autosport.

“Mandated pitstops? It will have effects on the end of qualifying and how many laps you do in qualifying to save tyres for the race… so that to me, it doesn’t make sense.

“You want to run your fastest race and whether it’s a one-stop or two-stop or three-stop. That’s where we need to be at.”

Although Verstappen led every lap en route to his 14th victory of 2023, the Dutchman only upheld a margin of 4.8s to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri at the end of 57 laps.

While McLaren utilised the strength of its MCL60 car in high-speed corners to keep Verstappen honest, Lando Norris admitted that the mandated stops had mitigated Red Bull’s advantage when it comes to tyre preservation at the end of race stints.

Horner emphasises that Red Bull elected to run against the optimal strategy predicted by the simulations to avoid being caught out by an ill-timed Safety Car at any stage.

“From a safety point of view, I fully understand why they did it,” Horner added.

“Maybe strategically, it wasn’t the optimum strategy for this race, two stop and tyre deg and some of the other things would have come into play.

“But it was a different race and it tested the strategists in a different way.

“The thing is, it made it a lot more predictable because you know what the maximum stint length for each car was.

“So for us, it was about managing the risk and exposure of a Safety Car within the last 10 laps, which is why we went past an optimal strategy to make sure that we had the coverage in the event the drivers behind had a free stop to give Max the best tyres possible.

“So, it was a risk limitation strategy, particularly in that last 10 [laps].”

Meanwhile, Sergio Perez, who failed to advance to Q3 in qualifying for the eighth time this year, could only climb as high as 10th having started from the pit lane.

The Mexican picked up three penalties for track limits infringements, but Horner believes his race was “diluted” by the unique pit-stop regulation enforced in Qatar.