Christian Horner names 'absolute priority' for Red Bull in F1 title fight

Christian Horner has asserted Red Bull's "absolute priority" this year is seeing Max Verstappen win a record-equaling fifth consecutive drivers' title in 2025, sacrificing the constructors'.

Verstappen sits 25 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri heading into the Spanish Grand Prix. 

However, he is within striking distance of drawing level with the Australian following his Imola triumph, adding to his victory in Japan earlier this year.

Only Michael Schumacher, between 2000 and 2024, has ever won five straight F1 drivers' titles, with Verstappen Red Bull's best hope to take on the McLaren duo of Piastri and Lando Norris, given Yuki Tsunoda's struggles.

Tsunoda will not be a factor in the drivers' championship, with this having a knock-on effect of costing Red Bull points in the battle against Piastri and Norris.

It was a fight Horner concedes is effectively over, with full focus being placed on the drivers' title for Verstappen - commonly regarded as the more prestigious of the two world titles. 

"The constructors' for us, you have got to have two cars scoring big time, and McLaren have got that and they're doing a great job," Horner told Sky Sports F1. 

"So for us to take on McLaren in the constructors', it is going to be immensely difficult this year, so for us, our absolute priority is on the drivers'. 

"Only one driver has won five consecutive world championships, which shows how tough it is, and that is what we are going to try and do with Max.”

With one-third of the campaign now complete, Horner detailed it is too early to count Verstappen out of the fight despite McLaren's strong start to the year.

"We are still within striking distance with those two wins he's got so far, and it was such a timely win at Imola, but there is such a long way to go that it feels like you've just got to stay in touch through the summer.

"Because once the pressure really comes in the last quarter of the championship, that is where he comes into his own.”