Christian Horner admits that there is a "conflict" facing Red Bull between fighting for the Drivers' and the Constructors' Championships. With the squad having clinched 1-2 finishes at the season-opening races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, they already hold 87 points in the 2023 Constructors' table, putting them 49 points clear of second-placed Aston Martin. On the Drivers' side, Max Verstappen has a one-point advantage over Sergio Perez after claiming an additional point for setting the fastest lap in Jeddah, a topic that has come in for much scrutiny since . When asked during an interview on Sky News about how the team would manage the two drivers going forwards, Horner acknowledged that there is a balancing act involved between the team's interests and the drivers' interests.
Horner on 'conflict' of championships
"There's always a conflict between the two championships," the Red Bull boss explained. "The big championship for the team is the Constructors', that's where the money is distributed within the sport that comes in through the different fees, etc. "The Drivers' is the individual championship and that's the one that carries the prestige, especially for the drivers. "I think, for us as a team, the responsibility is to give both drivers the same chance, the same opportunity, the same car and, of course, it's then down to what they do on the circuit." Horner is not concerned about any potential problems arising in the relationship between Verstappen and Perez. "We've got two great drivers, Max and Sergio," he explained. "There's a healthy respect between the two of them, and I expect that to continue."
Red Bull expect 'ebb and flow' in season
The 2023 F1 campaign might have started strongly for Red Bull, but Horner admits that the momentum could have its ups and downs during the season ahead. "We're so early in the season," the Briton said. "It's a 23-race calendar. We've done two races in Bahrain and Jeddah so far. "The venues vary a great deal, so I'm sure it's going to ebb and flow, but we're hopeful that we can extract more performance from the car."
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