"Mercedes was just light years ahead of Red Bull" - Christian Horner looks back at his F1 team's difficult times

Red Bull boss Christian Horner reflected on the tough times for the team during the start of the turbo-hybrid era and admitted it was difficult to manage.

Red Bull had dominated the sport from 2010 to 2013, sweeping all the championships during these seasons. However, with a change in technical regulations and an increased emphasis on the power unit, the team was on the back foot because of a below-par power unit from Renault.

The team toiled hard and it wasn't until an alliance was formed with Honda in 2019 that the team was able to start progressing in a more predictable manner. Progress was gradual over the years but ultimately resulted in a drivers' title in 2021 and a clean sweep in 2022.

Looking back at the years of struggle, Horner told motorsport-total:

"During that time it was difficult because we had four dominant championships behind us and suddenly there was a dry spell - another team was just light years ahead of us. In an organization that's used to winning, it's very easy to lose your head and motivation. The most important thing was to keep the team together and focus on the things that we could control and influence ."

Horner did admit that during this tough time, it was the loyalty and continuity of the same team that helped the team pull through. He said:

We had a lot of loyalty during that time, a lot of continuity. Little by little we were able to get wins here and there in every season but one and there was always the question of getting the right unit as part of the package would."

Red Bull tech guru credits Honda partnership as the catalyst for growth

Red Bull's aero wizard put the team's growth down to a Honda partnership that served as a catalyst for improvement. The team had much better synergy with the Japanese brand and hence success followed. He said:

"I think one of the strengths of the team is that we put our heads together and got through this. As soon as we had a good power unit again through the partnership with Honda, we were able to react."

Red Bull will be facing an uphill task in 2023 as it tries to overcome a cost cap breach penalty and still defend the title against the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes.