Red Bull boss says team are getting stronger but 'challenging' upcoming tracks make race win before summer break unlikely; Horner still unsure when RB13 will get upgraded Renault engine
Wednesday 31 May 2017 14:38, UK
Christian Horner anticipates more improvement from Red Bull as the season progresses, but admits he's a "little worried" about their prospects prior to the summer break.
After a disappointing start to the 2017 campaign, Red Bull enjoyed their best weekend of the season in Monaco as Daniel Ricciardo beat Valtteri Bottas to a podium finish, while Max Verstappen also matched the Mercedes pace.
And while pre-season hopes of a title challenge haven't come to fruition with upgrades forthcoming on the RB13, Horner is certainly more optimistic ahead of the Canadian GP - despite conceding the next month will be much tougher.
Ricciardo title dreams on hold
"We're understanding the car better, we're developing the car better and we're getting performance from the car," the Red Bull team principal told reporters in Monaco.
"I'm a little worried about two weeks' time and four weeks' time because they're completely different challenges. The next three circuits for us are actually really tough."
The races in Montreal, Azerbaijan and Austria present high-downforce tracks that Red Bull have typically struggled on, even when armed with a better package than they have brought this season.
"They are going to be our biggest challenges of the calendar perhaps bar Monza," Horner added. "If we can perform okay at those next three venues, then with what's in the pipeline for further in the season, I think the second half of the season can be stronger than the first half."
Aerodynamic additions seem to have helped Red Bull in the last two races, but the biggest performance leap - and what could help them compete for race victories - is anticipated from the Renault power unit upgrade.
Horner previously told the official F1 website that the team are "going to church every week to pray" they get the new engine as soon as possible, with the expected Canadian GP upgrade now thought to be off the table.
"It's not in the plan at the moment," admitted the Red Bull boss, who also refused to confirm whether Renault would have it ready for the next race in Baku.
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