Christian Horner Clarifies Red Bull ‘Forgot the Rear Wing’ Rumour
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Christian Horner clarifies the Red Bull rear wing rumour, addressing claims the team forgot to bring a low-downforce wing to the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The Rumour: Red Bull’s Rear Wing Mix-Up
Christian Horner has addressed the recent rumours surrounding Red Bull’s rear wing at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, where the team faced a challenging Friday practice session. The rumour suggested that Red Bull “forgot” to bring a low-downforce rear wing, which led to a disappointing showing for Max Verstappen in the second practice session.
Max Verstappen, who needed to outscore Lando Norris to seal the championship, was only 17th fastest in second practice, trailing Lewis Hamilton by a significant margin. The team struggled with straight-line speed, losing over half a second on the straights alone.
Helmut Marko's Initial Comments
Red Bull's motorsport advisor, Helmut Marko, quickly sparked the rumours after revealing that the team did not have the correct rear wing for the circuit. In an interview with Autosport, Marko explained, “We don’t have another rear wing, a smaller rear wing, as we see it on our competitors. It would be more helpful, for sure.”
Marko further clarified that there was no possibility of flying in a different rear wing ahead of Friday’s qualifying session, which led to headlines suggesting that Red Bull had “forgotten” to bring the right wing to Las Vegas.
Horner Sets the Record Straight
However, Christian Horner was quick to deny the rumour that Red Bull had forgotten their rear wing. When asked about the rear wing issue, Horner responded with a touch of sarcasm: “Well, you know, it can happen… No, we did not forget a rear wing.” He insisted that the team did not face any major issues with their equipment.
Horner explained that the real issue was that Red Bull simply doesn’t have an ultra low-downforce wing specifically designed for tracks like Las Vegas or Monza. He noted that given the constraints of the cost cap, the team had to prioritize where they spent resources, which meant not having such a wing in their arsenal.
“The wing that we have, you end up trimming the wings to achieve a top speed, and that’s what many, many of the teams have done,” Horner said. “There’s no issue with it, I don’t know quite where it came from.”
Improved Performance in Final Practice
Despite the earlier struggles, Red Bull showed a marked improvement in Friday’s final practice session, where Verstappen finished fifth-fastest. Horner acknowledged the improvements, saying, “We’re okay. You’re running different engine modes and the whole world looks a lot different.”
By the end of the session, Red Bull appeared to be in better shape, with Verstappen in a strong position heading into Saturday’s 50-lap race.
Red Bull’s Championship Outlook
Heading into the Las Vegas Grand Prix race, Verstappen holds a commanding 62-point lead over Norris in the Drivers' Championship, putting him in a strong position to secure the title. Red Bull, however, are currently third in the Constructors’ Championship, trailing McLaren by 49 points.
Despite the rumoured rear wing issues, Red Bull will be focused on maximizing their performance over the weekend as they look to defend their dominant position in both championships.
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