"The biggest changes we've had have been livery changes": Red Bull boss jokes when asked about increased competition in the last few races

The Red Bull team boss has reportedly joked about how the biggest change his team has brought to the RB19 is the change in livery in all three races in the US. He has thus indirectly claimed that the RB19 has not undergone a lot of developmental changes that increase the performance of the car.

According to F1.com, Red Bull's team principal initially made the livery joke when asked about the increase in competition in the last few races. But then he went on to talk about how his team has been challenged by different competitors throughout the 2023 F1 season. He particularly pointed out how Aston Martin was quite strong at the start of the season, especially at the Monaco GP.

“The biggest changes we've had have been livery changes. At different times during the season, we've had different competitors, giving us a hard time, whether it was Aston Martin that started the season very strongly. If you think back to Monaco that just came down to Quali, that was just one lap in Quali that determined that race,” he said.

Furthermore, he also mentioned that McLaren, Ferrari, and occasionally Mercedes have also challenged the reigning world champions from time to time. However, Horner proudly said that his team's level of consistency has always kept them ahead of the pack in most circuits and conditions.

“And then more recently, McLaren have really brought us a firm challenge at some very recent races, we've had Ferrari up there as well and Mercedes occasionally as well. So, it's been varying who the competitor has been. I think where we've been particularly strong is we've just managed to achieve that level of consistency across many different circuits, conditions, and circumstances,” added Horner.

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Red Bull stands with their team boss' claims about Lewis Hamilton's team approach

There have been a lot of talks and debates surrounding Lewis Hamilton and Christian Horner after the latter claimed that the British driver approached Red Bull earlier this year, when his contract was still not final with Mercedes. The seven-time world champion has denied any contact with Horner or his team.

According to Craig Slater from Sky Sports, however, Red Bull has claimed that a representative from Hamilton's camp approached their boss. Slater said:

"I thought I’d better fact-check it so I got in touch with Red Bull and they say: ‘Yes, absolutely, Christian Horner stands by this. A known Lewis Hamilton representative made contact with him'."