Red Bull highlight three-year drop-off as 'bigger issue' returns

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner claims F1 has reverted three years to a problem he feels is becoming more of an issue the deeper the sport heads into the current regulation set.

The introduction of the current ground-effect rules at the start of 2022 was designed to ensure cars could follow more closely and aid in overtaking.

For the most part, they have worked, albeit Red Bull has crushed the opposition over the past two years in winning back-to-back constructors' titles, and Max Verstappen adding to his 2021 triumph to notch up a hat-trick of drivers' crowns.

But with ongoing development, Red Bull's F1 rivals have significantly closed the gap, with the Milton Keynes-based outfit under increasing pressure from McLaren who are just 42 points adrift in the team battle.

Horner, though, has identified an issue he says was particularly prevalent in the penultimate race of the first 'half' of the season in Hungary.

"Listening to the drivers, particularly in the debrief, it sounds like we're getting back towards 2021 - not as bad as 2021," remarked Horner.

"It was very hard to follow in the dirty air, probably more so than we expected

"Obviously as the cars are becoming more developed, they're becoming harder to follow. So the dirty air is becoming a bigger issue."

Red Bull development 'not static'

Although upgrades were on the car at the Hungaroring, and the car changed specification again a week later to adapt to the different demands of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit for the Belgian Grand Prix, Red Bull struggled to make the most of either package.

Horner has often stated his team is reaching the top of the arc when it comes to development, resulting in it falling into the clutches of McLaren, whilst Mercedes is now finally making considerable strides.

"As a team, we are working incredibly hard to continue to improve the car," said Horner. "It's something that isn't static, it's constantly working as a team of people back in the UK.

"We have a tight championship battle. You can see everybody in the team is focused on making sure that all the energy is going into optimising our performance as a team, developing the car, and getting the most out of racing."