Christian Horner and Red Bull expect 2024 F1 field to ‘converge’ after record-breaking Max Verstappen season

Max Verstappen and Purple Bull had been completely dominant in F1 2023; Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin are all trying to get nearer subsequent yr after every difficult at totally different factors within the season; watch the entire 2024 F1 season stay on Sky Sports activities F1

Purple Bull boss Christian Horner expects the 2024 System 1 subject to shut up after his crew’s record-breaking marketing campaign this yr.

Max Verstappen received an unprecedented 19 races from 22 occasions, a profitable share of 86 per cent, and Purple Bull completed one-two within the Drivers’ Championship for the primary time.

The Milton Keynes-based crew did not win only one race, the Singapore Grand Prix which noticed Carlos Sainz take victory, and Verstappen was typically unchallenged on some weekends.

Since F1 launched new floor impact laws in 2022, Purple Bull have received each championship and their dominance started in the course of that season after Ferrari’s early title problem light away.

Ferrari had been the crew closest to Purple Bull on the finish of 2023 however McLaren, Mercedes and Aston Martin additionally bought shut at numerous factors throughout the yr.

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Purple Bull boss Christian Horner expects their rivals to be extra aggressive subsequent season and insists his crew can’t afford to face nonetheless.

“No one stands nonetheless. We have got an ideal foundation, so it is extra evolution [of the car] than revolution. However I am positive it’ll converge a bit subsequent yr, so we will not relaxation on our laurels,” Horner advised Sky Sports activities Information on the Autosport Awards.

“They [competitors] are all nice groups. McLaren’s type on the again finish of the season, Ferrari, Mercedes. These large groups are going to be popping out all weapons blazing subsequent yr.”

Wolff confirms ‘utterly new automobile’ for Mercedes

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Karun Chandhok, Ted Kravitz and Bernie Collins focus on which drivers impressed probably the most this season past Max Verstappen.

Mercedes completed runners-up to Purple Bull within the Constructors’ Championship however went winless in a season for the primary time since 2011.

Lewis Hamilton hasn’t received since December 2021 on the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and performed down his probabilities to problem for the title subsequent yr.

There was a glimmer of hope for Mercedes when Hamilton took pole place in Hungary and confirmed robust tempo within the second half of the season however Toto Wolff feels his crew have a giant deficit to shut.

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Ted Kravitz, Bernie Collins and Karun Chandhok look again at their favorite races of the season.

“A brand new season begins with a totally new automobile, and that offers alternatives but additionally dangers,” mentioned Wolff.

“I believe we have got to be life like. We’re aiming for the celebrities, however we completed solely second towards a crew who was outperforming everyone else.

“I’ve at all times mentioned this can be a meritocracy and the very best driver and automobile wins. Due to this fact, we’ve to get our act collectively, and I hope it is us [to put Red Bull under pressure].”

What are McLaren’s probabilities?

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McLaren boss Zak Brown is hoping for a powerful begin to the brand new season as they goal to slender the hole on the Purple Bulls in 2024.

McLaren made outstanding progress all through 2023 after beginning the season as one of many worst automobiles when it comes to tempo on the Bahrain Grand Prix.

An enormous improve forward of the Austrian Grand Prix in July noticed them leap up the pecking order and Lando Norris led the early levels of the British GP on house soil at Silverstone.

Norris’ 4 consecutive podiums and Oscar Piastri’s Dash win in Qatar have given McLaren loads of hope to proceed their upward curve into 2024.

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Relive the ten most dramatic crashes from this yr’s System One season.

“We hope to begin the season the place we completed off. It’s going to be attention-grabbing to see the place everyone begins subsequent yr, however we’re feeling good about our growth,” mentioned McLaren CEO Zak Brown.

“I believe we realized loads this yr, so I anticipate a a lot stronger begin to 2024 than we had in 2023.”

Piastri’s spectacular rookie marketing campaign and Norris’ consistency has made McLaren a real power once more for the primary time in over a decade.

Brown thinks the crew have a driver pairing which may problem for the title.

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Ted Kravitz and Karun Chandhok focus on Max Verstappen’s dominance of the 2023 F1 season.

“I believe he [Oscar Piastri] already is [challenging Lando Norris], which is nice to have the motive force line-up that we’ve,” Brown mentioned.

“We take a look at what we have to be a world championship crew once more, you should have two nice drivers, and we’re snug we are able to tick that field.

“It is bizarre, on Max’s [Verstappen] stage, there’s by no means been a much less aggressive season, however behind Max, there’s by no means been a extra aggressive season. The grid was unbelievably shut.

“We had 5 groups with seven or extra podiums, which is a report. So there was one automobile which was uncompetitive with the remainder of the sector, and the remainder of the sector is unbelievably aggressive. I am not apprehensive about that.”

24 races in 2024! Watch each spherical of subsequent season stay on Sky Sports activities F1, beginning with the Bahrain Grand Prix from February 29-March 2. Stream F1 on Sky Sports with NOW