Horner: Not one ounce of me wishes competition was closer

Back in 2021, Red Bull and Mercedes had a season-long and bitter fight for the F1 Title as both teams traded blows race in race out, reaching that year's season finale in Abu Dhabi with their lead drivers Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton even on points.

In the end, and following a controversial Safety Car period, Verstappen emerged from under the flood lights of the Yas Marina Circuit as Champion with Hamilton his runner up. Mercedes, on the other hand, were Constructors' Champions, Red Bull second best.

In 2022, following a major rules' overhaul in F1, Red Bull have got the jump on their rivals and have dominated the sport winning the Title double with Verstappen, their dominance still ongoing in 2023 with Verstappen winning ten races in 2023 while teammate Sergio Perez winning the remaining two, a clean sweep by Red Bull.

Horner, however, doesn't miss the close action from 2021, and is enjoying his team's huge advantage over rivals, and when asked if he hoped for a closer competition, he told Motorsport.com: "There's not one ounce of me that wishes that. I think I'm still in recovery from 2021.

"And look, results like [Spa] are the combination of teamwork and that's why you guys have seen Greg [Reeson], our garage technician that looks after all the tyres in the garage, to go and get the constructors' trophy today," the Briton added after Verstappen and Perez finished first and second at the Belgian Grand Prix.

"Because it's about every member of the team, every department in the factory doing their job, you don't achieve these kinds of results by accident.

"I think that it's a golden moment for our team. Hats off to everybody behind the scenes, everybody that's working as hard as they are to achieve this kind of performance," Horner maintained.

Quizzed of Red Bull can go unbeaten in 2023, Horner said: "If you think logically, then no, but we never thought that we could win the first 12 races either, so now I have to say: why not?

"I didn't expect [Red Bull's dominance] at all," he insisted. "We've just developed our own car and we were honestly surprised that the others didn’t do a good job because both Mercedes and Ferrari didn’t make a step forward. That is why we are so far ahead now.

"The opposition behind us keeps changing. One time it’s Ferrari, one time it’s McLaren and then it's Aston Martin or Mercedes who is behind us," the 49-year-old pointed out.

Despite Ferrari giving Red Bull a brief challenge at the start of the new rules era in 2022, they have since dropped back while Mercedes, who have got their sums wrong with both their cars since 2022, are yet to recover from their dreaded zeropod concept, a design philosophy they finally abandoned in Monaco.

Aston Martin surprised F1 in 2023 as hey turned up with the second fastest car behind Red Bull, with Fernando Alonso securing six podiums. They have since dropped back, unable to match their rivals on development, while McLaren shot to the second fastest status after an impressive midseason upgrade to their MCL60.

For now, it seems Horner can remain relaxed that Red Bull will be unchallenged for the rest of the 2023 season, as they lead second-placed Mercedes by 256 points in the Constructors' Standings.