Horner: VCARB running our 2023 suspension, didn't have issues

Horner hinted that Red Bull are at loss to try and pinpoint the reason behind their recent struggles, especially in the Monaco Grand Prix where Max Verstappen qualified and finished sixth, while Sergio Perez qualified 18th and was taken out in a first-lap crash with Haas' Kevin Magnussen.

For some reason, the Red Bull RB20, successor of the all conquering RB19 of 2023, does not run well on slow tracks, not handling kerbs and bumps very well, and while Red Bull's suspension since 2022 has been hailed as the leading design that gave their ground effect cars an advantage, weak points are now starting to appear.

Speaking to the media in Monaco last Sunday, Verstappen's comments, about inherent weaknesses in the RB20, magnified by Ferrari and McLaren's improvement, were brought to Horner's attention.

He said: "We saw it in Singapore last year as well. So we've had another example of that. We know it's an area of the car we need to work on.

"It was a very static race. I mean, the top 10 is as it started. The red flag effectively killed the race, because everybody just was going to run to the end of the race. We got some lessons to take out of this weekend and some issues that we need to address with a car obviously," he added.

However Horner insisted he not worried about the Championship yet, he said: "There's a long way to go so we've never taken anything for granted in the championship.

"Obviously, this race [Monaco] is won on a Saturday and that's where we had a poor day. So to understand what the issues were with the ride and the kerbs we've got a huge amount of data now to go away and look at and look to address for the upcoming races."

The upcoming race is in Canada, and while the kerbs there may also be a challenge for Red Bull, Horner is hoping lessons learned in Monaco will help.

He continued: "It's a track [Circuit Gilles Villeneuve] that we've performed well out previously. They've resurfaced the whole circuit again. So let's see.

"But Ferrari, McLaren are quick. It was always going to happen that there was going to be convergence. Of course, this has been a tough weekend, but we're still leading both championships. We'll look to take the lessons out of this weekend and apply to the next one.

"It's very much traction, historically was there, but with a new surface you don't know what the balance is going to swing to."

Quizzed whether Red Bull can fix what Verstappen called go-kart suspension on his RB20 in 2024, the Red Bull boss insisted: "First of all it's understanding what the issue is. Once we've done that, then you can look at what the relevant fix is.

"That's what we need to focus on because we've got bumpy tracks with kerbs coming up later in the championship as well. So, we need to understand fully what the issues are and then look to address them," he pointed out.

Red Bull are yet to bring a major upgrade in 2024, and when asked about the RB20's development plan, Horner revealed: "It's a continual process.

"Of course you're into the law of diminishing returns. And of course your focus changes depending on what your problems are.

"So, quite a lot of focus will now happen, or will now take part on, okay, why have we had these ride issues? Why is the car struggling on the kerbs?

"The VCARB car is running with our suspension from last year. It didn't seem to have the same issues [in Monaco]. We need to understand if it's something that we've introduced," the Briton concluded.

Red Bull still lead the 2024 F1 Constructors' Championship from Ferrari but by just 24 points. Verstappen is only 31 points ahead of Charles Leclerc in the Drivers' Standings.