Why Fernando Alonso starting the race on hard tires left Red Bull boss Christian Horner nervous

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner was slightly concerned when he learned that Fernando Alonso was going to start the 2023 F1 Monaco GP on hard tires.

Even though the Austrian-British team is dominating the field and comfortably leading the drivers and constructors' championship tables, they are still wary of other top teams that could pounce in any race.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Horner explained how he was nervous to see several cars, including Fernando Alonso's, start the race on hard tires. This meant that they would be able to run a long race before pitting, something that Max Verstappen might not be able to do with his medium tires.

The Briton also stated that the rain was also a variable that was a concern for him and said:

“I was nervous from about the moment the red light came on. When they pull the covers off and you see quite a few have gone on the hard tyre, you think OK, and with rain around if they can go far enough and the mediums can degrade.”

Horner went on to mention how the first part of the task at the Monaco GP was for Max Verstappen to start well and create a gap. He added:

“The first thing was convert the start and Max did that and then it was about building a bit of a gap and getting a Safety Car window to the cars behind and then try and hang it out and see what the weather does.”

Since Fernando Alonso was performing brilliantly throughout the season, the Red Bull team boss was nervous about how long the Spaniard would be able to run on those hard tires in the Monaco GP.

Thankfully, Verstappen maintained good communication with the Red Bull team and pitted at the right moment for intermediate tires. Meanwhile, Aston Martin went in the wrong direction by attaching medium tires to Alonso's car.

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Red Bull team boss on Mercedes big upgrades in the 2023 F1 Monaco GP

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner stated that he did not get the time to properly analyze Mercedes' new upgrade parts but was sure that it must have cost them quite a lot from their budget.

During the team principal's press conference, he said:

“Well, to be honest, I haven’t had an in-depth look at the upgrades. Obviously, visually, they look a bit different. But sometimes the visual things actually have the least performance impact. It’s what’s usually underneath the skin or the finer detail that has the biggest impact.”

“So obviously they’ve bought a significant amount of parts, so they’ve obviously committed a significant part of their budget cap to this upgrade, and it’s up to a team how and when it applies it.”

Mercedes took a risk by bringing huge upgrade packages to the 2023 F1 Monaco GP. They brought a completely new sidepod and front suspension system, along with other parts.