2014, an interesting challenge according to Horner

Formula 1 will undergo many changes in 2014, and it’s already necessary to start positioning oneself to be as well-prepared as possible. The 2009 season serves as a reminder that significant changes are never simple and that even large teams can stumble. “I think 2014 will clearly be a risk for everyone,” reacted Christian Horner, director of the Red Bull team. “Next year, the competition could be more focused on economy rather than pure performance. It will be an interesting challenge.”

Consumption will directly result from the engine’s performance, a domain in which each manufacturer progresses at their own pace. We don’t know where others are with their engines at the moment, and you can see that at Viry [the headquarters of Renault Sport F1, ed.] there is a lot of determination and a lot of work being done. Renault has vast experience, and we have complete trust in the engineers. We trust our engine partner, but we will only be certain in 2014, explains Horner.

A 2014 season on which teams like Ferrari and Mercedes are relying heavily. The Italian team did not hesitate to bring Rory Byrne out of retirement to work on the future Ferrari, while Brawn hopes to recreate the success of 2009. For some, having a team managing both the aerodynamic aspects and the engine, as is the case with the two aforementioned teams, could be an advantage when approaching the 2014 championship. But for Horner, the good relations Red Bull has with Renault are a source of satisfaction that makes him optimistic for the future and the technical shift of the upcoming season: « I think we have a particularly good relationship with the guys at Viry. There is a lot of exchange on the design and how to integrate the engine into the chassis. Whether it’s Mercedes with Brackley and Brixworth or Red Bull with Milton Keynes and Viry, I think the relationship is essentially the same. »