Red Bull is not afraid of McLaren’s clear lead – Horner

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner stressed that they were not “afraid” of McLaren’s pace at the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend.

Lando Norris took a comfortable win at Zandvoort ahead of Max Verstappen, who finished 22.9 seconds behind the British driver.

It was the biggest lead by a non-Red Bull driver since Lewis Hamilton's victory at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and the biggest lead of the season.

Norris' victory reduced Verstappen's lead in the drivers' championship to 70 points, while Red Bull is now only 30 points ahead of McLaren in the constructors' championship.

Verstappen took the lead on the first lap but was later easily overtaken by Norris before the McLaren driver pulled away.

It was a clear win for Norris, but it didn't deter Horner, who knew how important it is to score a lot of points when the car's performance is not in the right window.

“I think you have to drive with the championship in mind,” Horner told selected media, including RacingNews365.

“And this year there were about seven different race winners. So if you can't win, you have to get points.”

“Of course it's not nice to be beaten by 22 seconds, but it shows that such a result is possible if you get things right with your car in the right window, as we saw earlier this year.

“So it doesn't scare us in any way. It just makes us aware that we have to turn this around. We have to do it right.”

Verstappen’s “mature” driving style

It was uncharacteristic of Verstappen to let Norris pass so easily after the Dutchman had recently been criticised in Hungary for his risky defence and overtaking manoeuvres.

Since Verstappen's eventful Hungarian Grand Prix, he has been a calmer figure in the car at recent races in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Before last Sunday, the Red Bull driver was the only one to win his home race since returning to the calendar in 2021.

Given the pressure of a home race, it would have been understandable that Verstappen would have fought against Norris, but Horner stressed that the 26-year-old had already realised at the start of the weekend that Norris was too fast.

“I think he accepted that Lando simply had a faster car and he actually knew that on Friday,” added Horner.

“I think he drove a very mature race and wanted to make sure he only gave up seven points to Lando, he didn't want to allow more than that.”

“So he just made sure he delivered the result he needed.”