Horner responds to Ferrari F1 cost cap criticism: “Everybody’s got an opinion…”

The reigning F1 world champions were fined $7m and given a 10 percent reduction in their aerodynamic testing test for a 12-month period after being found in ‘minor’ breach of the $145m spending limit for 2021. 

Last week Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur said Red Bull’s dominant start to the 2023 season was partly due to the “very light” penalty. 

Asked about Vasseur’s comments, Horner told Sky Sports News: “Everybody's got an opinion and I think everybody's free to have an opinion. 

"The team have done a great job over the winter on limited wind-tunnel time that we've had to develop this car, and of course that will have an impact later into the year and on next year.

"So on a snapshot of three races, I think it's still hugely premature in [terms of] this season, there's an awful lot of racing still to go.”

Although the penalty appears to have had little effect on Red Bull so far, it is expected to have a bigger impact on the team’s development over the coming months and heading into next season. 

Horner stressed that his team are taking nothing for granted and are braced for a fightback from rivals Mercedes and Ferrari as F1’s development war ramps up. 

"There's a lot of things that can change," Horner said. "We're hearing of big updates coming for both Ferrari and Mercedes when we get back to Europe.

"So we're certainly not taking anything for granted, we're just focused on ourselves, doing the best job we can within the constraints that we have.

"We're doing the best that we can with what we've got and we know that it's tough penalty, it's one that we're taking on the chin and we're applying ourselves in the best way that we possibly can."