Christian Horner raises concerns over Red Bull’s chances in China as McLaren gains momentum

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is not confident of his team standing a chance at improvement at the upcoming Chinese Grand Prix. Horner opined that historically, the Shanghai track hasn't suited Red Bull, and he expects McLaren to be quick as well.

The 2025 F1 season didn't start on a strong note for Red Bull Racing as their drivers Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson struggled to match the pace of their rivals. McLaren's pace steered clear of the Bulls as Norris pipped Verstappen to claim a win in Australia.

While Verstappen settled for P2, his teammate Lawson had a crash, leading to a DNF. Moreover, for the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix, Red Bull is not confident of any significant improvement.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner spoke to Newsweek and stated that the Shanghai track has always been challenging for his team.

"I think expectations are difficult to set ahead of China. This track historically for us, even in our strongest days, has never played to our strengths. I think the fact that we've only won this race twice in 20 years shows it's quite a tricky circuit for us. I think we're looking forward to going to China and learning more about the car or about some of its limitations. The McLarens will be quick there, I've got no doubt about that," Horner said.

The Chinese Grand Prix is also tricky this year, as the track has reportedly been revamped, and with a sprint race on the calendar, Red Bull will have only a single practice session to determine the right strategy.

The one big positive for the Milton Keynes-based squad is that Max Verstappen won in China last year. Hence, with the right strategy, the team could bounce back.

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Christian Horner points out McLaren's strange advantage

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner - Source: Getty

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is baffled by McLaren's tire advantage seen at the 2025 Australia Grand Prix. Horner opined that McLaren was able to heat their tires quickly and also control the wear while others struggled in wet conditions.

Talking to Racingnews365, Horner said:

"It's different for everyone, isn't it? It's very strange that they can warm up the tires well and still have very little wear. Normally one thing comes at the expense of the other. It seems like they've done a fantastic job on this circuit."

Apart from the evident pace advantage, McLaren's tire wear out was far less compared to their rivals, which allowed both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to dominate the weekend in Australia.

Meanwhile, conditions in China this week will be completely different from those seen in Melbourne. Hence, Christian Horner's Red Bull could try out different tactics to turn things around. They are placed third in the Constructors championship standings with 18 points.