Horner allows Perez and Verstappen to battle each other for the title

Christian Horner sees no reason to intervene between Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen for now. According to the Red Bull Racing team boss, the two can just fight each other as long as they keep things in one piece.

After the first two Grands Prix of the 2023 Formula 1 season, it is clear that the title fight is between Red Bull's two drivers. The RB19 is so ahead of the competition that it seems highly unlikely they can come back this season. It creates more tension within Red Bull, but Horner is not worried about that.

Internal duel at Red Bull

Asked if it will be difficult between the two, Horner was clear at the press conference: "There's no reason why it why it should. They're both competitive animals, and they're both racing drivers at the end of the day. They know the rules of engagement in terms of that this is team first. Particularly at this stage of the year, where we know that we don't have the development capability that other teams have in terms of wind tunnel time."

According to Horner, it is therefore mainly a matter of collecting as many points as possible, as quickly as possible. "It's hugely important to to bag as many points as we can get as many into the championships as we can early on because we know the others are going to come back at us in the second half of the year," he said. About the first free practice, Horner was satisfied. He said the drivers were not yet completely happy with the balance due to some problems with the brakes, but the times show that Red Bull is back in good shape.