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Christian Horner feels the fact Red Bull has not once dropped the ball this F1 season has been the hallmark of its undefeated campaign so far.
Red Bull is now just eight grands prix away from achieving what would surely be the greatest feat in F1 history by winning every single race.
That’s another 2,400 kilometres (1,500 miles) of racing, but after 14 events so far, the team has no equal as its rivals have tried and failed to play catch up under the current regulations.
The only moment of unreliability with the seemingly impregnable RB19 has been a driveshaft failure for Max Verstappen during the second period of qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix that resulted in a start from 15th on the grid, and finishing just 5.3secs behind team-mate Sergio Perez.
Two-time champion Verstappen has been peerless, setting a new record with 10 consecutive race victories to edge him ahead of former Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel who won nine in a row at the end of 2013.
Whilst Verstappen has driven on another level, Horner feels that as a team, he could not have asked for anything more.
“To have won 14 races out of 14 so far, to be leaving the European season undefeated, is something we could have never imagined,” said Horner.
“To win a grand prix is hard enough, but to win 14 in a row, or 24 out of the last 25, that needs every single member of the team doing their part, and we’re racing against some massive opponents.
“For me, the most remarkable achievement this year so far is that we haven’t dropped the ball, that we’ve managed to keep operating at an incredibly high level, and that’s something that’s not been seen before.”
Horner is naturally appreciative of the fact that to win all 22 races this year will still require a certain element of good fortune, regardless of how his team continues to perform on and off track.
“Whether it’s reliability, whether its luck, whether it’s strategy, whether it’s pace, a pitstop, the weather, there are so many elements that,” said Horner. “So you’ve got to stay on top of your game.”
Asked whether Verstappen had come close to retiring this season, he replied: “It’s difficult to think back that far!
“There’s been the odd issue here and there that he’s had to manage, particularly the first race in Bahrain, but the car has been robust. The team’s done a good job on that front.”
