Christian Horner has confirmed Red Bull is to now switch focus to 2024 as it takes the final pain from the cost cap penalty imposed last year.
Following a breach of the initial cap set at US$145 million for the 2021 campaign, Red Bull was eventually fined last October what many believe to be an insignificant sum of US$7 million.
Of greater significance, however, was the additional sanction of a 10 percent reduction in its allocated wind tunnel and CFD time.
In finishing as champions last year, and so receiving the least amount of aero development opportunities in comparison to their rivals given the sliding scale in effect, the added penalty was expected to have a significant effect on Red Bull.
That, however, has not materialised as the team has comprehensively dominated this season, winning all 11 races to open up a 229-point cushion over nearest rivals Mercedes in the constructors’ standings.
Two-time F1 champion Max Verstappen has won nine of those 11 grands prix, and now stands 110 points clear of team-mate Sergio Perez in the drivers’ championship.
Verstappen’s victory at the Hungaroring on Sunday was in a car sporting the first, and seemingly only, major upgrade package of the season on the impregnable RB19.
Delivering his verdict on the updates, team principal Horner said: “They did what they said on the tin, so from that point of view, it’s box ticked.”
Asked whether another significant raft of development was due this year, Horner replied: “We’ll have a few circuit-specific things.
“But nothing that hasn’t been done already, or what we’re committed to through research and development.”
Instead, attention will turn to next season. He added: “Now with the handicap we have, we have to really swing our focus over to next year.
“That’s because we have a significant deficit in wind tunnel time compared to our competitors, and we have to be very selective in how we use it.”
Referring to the fact Red Bull will not be free of the penalty for another three months, as it expires in October, Horner again made clear just how disadvantaged his team will remain.
“In terms of the amount of runs you can do per week, we’re significantly down compared to second, third place, and massively down once you get to the fourth, and fifth-placed teams,” said Horner.
“If you compare the number of runs McLaren can do in a wind tunnel versus ourselves, it’s a huge, huge difference.
“So, of course, we have to be very, very selective in the running that we’re doing.
“That’s where the engineering team back in Milton Keynes is doing an incredible job, the way that they’re effectively and efficiently developing the car.”
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