Christian Horner believes that Red Bull's cost cap penalty has allowed the team to "gain in motivation" and focus even more on efficiency. It was announced in October that the Milton Keynes-based outfit would be required to pay a $7 million fine and forfeit 10 per cent of their aerodynamic development allowance for breaching the financial regulations in 2021. Since then, the team have served almost 25 per cent of the penalty , with the fine having been paid while several of the first 12 months of the development punishment have been completed. In light of Red Bull achieving a 1-2 finish at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, Horner admitted that it was "vital" for the squad to have a good start in light of the penalty, but also noted a positive to come from the situation.
Horner: Penalty has focused team
"I think it just focuses everybody's mind," Horner told media, including RacingNews365.com . "It drives efficiency. What we lost in wind tunnel time, we gained in motivation." Max Verstappen's dominant drive to victory in Bahrain left many of the team's rivals predicting continued success for Red Bull, with George Russell suggesting that the squad could win every race in 2023 . However, Horner has warned that this is not a given, with changes likely to happen as the campaign progresses. "I've been around long enough to see things change so quickly," the team boss said. "I think that these cars are still relatively immature and, as teams develop and upgrades come, things will change."
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