Horner: "Sometimes you can ruin it as easily as you can benefit from it"

Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner is not expecting an easy weekend for Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Monza has not been good for the team in the past, but they have never been more competitive.

"I think the whole team is enjoying this competitive championship," Horner said in conversation with Sky Sports. "Everyone is working hard, to be back in a challenging position is what we've been after for seven years. We know the next two races will be tough for us, but everyone is up for the challenge."

Given past years, the races in Italy and Russia, the next two on the calendar, are not the easiest for Red Bull. "Last year, we were a second off pole. Essentially it's the same car in many aspects. It's been a strong circuit for them, but hopefully this year, we've made progress, if we can get in the top three, that's a good achievement."

"You've got to survive the first corner here," the Red Bull team boss continued. "You're pleased to see your car come through, but to do it twice is more stressful. It'll be fascinating to see how it works here. With the tow, you've got to be careful. You can sometimes mess it up as easily as you can benefit. It's not historically something we've done but this year is slightly different."