Horner on challenge with Verstappen and Perez: "Isn't just about them"

A rivalry is currently unfolding between Red Bull Racing drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, although it remains to be seen during the Formula 1 season how intense this battle will become. It is up to team boss Christian Horner to keep his drivers in line if things get tense between the two.

Many continue to see Verstappen as the clear-cut favourite for the world title in 2023, but Perez has so far managed to stay close to his teammate. For father Perez, enough reason to argue that the battle between them has already reached proportions comparable to the bitter rivalry between F1 legends Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.

Horner: 'Is not just about Verstappen and Perez'

As team boss, how does Horner ensure that the dynamics within the team remain good? "I think it's about just being transparent and talking things through. Going through what the expectations are, reminding them that they drive for a team. And they represent every team member when they're driving their cars. They represent all of the partners we represent," the 49-year-old Briton clarified in an interview with Financial Times.

"It's not just about them," Horner added. "Of course, in the briefing they take that in but as soon as they put a crash helmet on I think it goes straight out of the other ear," he continues jokingly. Still, the Red Bull team boss has clearly seen a lot of mutual respect between his drivers.

Here he refers to the Miami Grand Prix, in which Perez started from pole, but Verstappen eventually outsmarted him on track after starting from P9. "You could see on Sunday the respect there was between the two drivers in the way they raced against each other. They were hard but fair and gave each other enough space which is what we asked," Horner concluded.