Horner: We still have a few bits for the car this year

Red Bull F1 chief Christian Horner is upbeat about the prospects of his team at the forthcoming Belgian Grand Prix, where some development update and engine upgrades will be bolted on to the cars o Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo in an effort to further reel in the dominant Silver Arrows.

Horner told ESPN, "We still have a few bits that we can tidy up on the car this year that are in the pipeline and they were kicked off some time ago."

"There is still progress that is going on with the engine, with drivability, and there are some positive things in the pipeline that hopefully can help us try to reduce that gap yet further."

After the double podium last time out in Germany, Red Bull have emerged as the most likely team to challenge Mercedes in the second half of the season.

"I think we've put a positive run of results together," reflected Horner. "I think we've come from more than 30 points behind Ferrari to go into the summer break 14 points up."

"We've had great performance from a variance of circuits, from Austria to Silverstone to Budapest and in Hockenheim - four very different venues, with very different surfaces - and I think that bodes well for the second part of the season."

"To have outscored [Ferrari] and go into the break second in the constructors'... you've always got to look ahead rather than behind, and, on average, to have been within 0.3 seconds off of Mercedes in Germany - on long runs and short runs."

"What we're looking at is how do we further reduce that gap. Then the points will tend to take care of themselves."