Ted Kravitz thinks Christian Horner ruled out Red Bull bonuses after Monaco GP
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has reportedly given up on winning the Constructors' Championship, which could have financial implications for some staff
Sky Sports F1 pundit Ted Kravitz has shared that Red Bull 's team principal, Christian Horner, seems to have thrown in the towel on winning the Constructors' Championship, which could spell financial trouble for some of the team's staff. The Monaco Grand Prix saw Lando Norris clinch his first victory, with McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri taking third place behind local favourite and Ferrari ace Charles Leclerc.
McLaren continues to rack up crucial points in both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships, leading the latter by a staggering 319 points after eight rounds. They are a massive 172 points ahead of Mercedes, who sit in second place.
Current four-time Formula One world champion Max Verstappen finished fourth in Monaco, while his Red Bull colleague Yuki Tsunoda only managed to secure 17th place. Red Bull are currently third in the Constructors' Championship with 143 points, just one point ahead of Ferrari.
Given the seemingly unbridgeable gap between them and McLaren, it appears unlikely they'll be able to close the deficit - a sentiment apparently echoed by Red Bull's team principal, as per Sky Sports ' Kravitz.
During 'Ted's Notebook', where Kravitz shares his insights on the latest race and gathers reactions from the paddock, he revealed a telling comment made by Horner about the fate of the Constructors' Championship, reports the Express.
The Sky Sports F1 reporter interpreted Horner's words as a sign that those with performance-related bonuses might miss out. "Christian Horner on the Constructors' Championship, I thought was interesting earlier in the weekend," Kravitz said. "In a bit of change since Sergio Perez was in the team, he said: 'Well I think we have to discount the Constructors' Championship.'"
Kravitz continued: "Obviously, they kind of do because they haven't found a solution to somebody scoring points with their second car. That's the first time Horner has actually said it. So, if you work at Red Bull and you're after a bonus for winning the Constructors' Championship, I think you can whistle goodbye to it this year."
Horner's comments came before the weekend's Grand Prix, where he emphasised the team's dedication to Verstappen's pursuit of five consecutive championships—a record only possessed by Michael Schumacher's dominance with Ferrari in the early 2000s.
"Our full focus is on the driver's championship," the Brit declared. "Obviously [if] both cars are scoring, and the more that Yuki works his way up the order, the bigger role he can play. I mean, you saw him play a small role today, working hard to keep Oscar behind him for a crucial lap or so.
"But yes, for us, all focus is on that drivers' championship. We've got a very clear number one in our team, and that's where, obviously, the main focus is."
Verstappen, currently third in the Drivers' standings, was visibly frustrated after Monaco, where a mandatory last-lap second pit stop saw him drop from first to fourth, watching Norris, Leclerc, and Piastri zoom past to snatch the podium spots.
The latest regulation introduced in Monaco this year drew the ire of drivers, with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon echoing Verstappen's discontent.
"You can't race here," the exasperated 27-year-old said to Sky Sports F1. "It doesn't matter what you do. One stop, 10 stops. Even at the end, I was in the lead, my tyres were completely gone and you still can't pass.
"Nowadays with an F1 car, you can just pass an F2 car around here. I get it but I don't think it's worked. We were almost doing Mario Kart. Then we have to install bits on the car and maybe you can throw bananas around! Slippery surface!"
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