Horner: Red Bull technical team stronger after Fallows exit

Fallows, who joined Red Bull in 2006 and had become one of the key members of design chief Adrian Newey’s technical department, was poached by Aston Martin last year. 

Red Bull fought hard to keep Fallows but eventually reached a deal to allow their former chief engineer of aerodynamics to make the switch to Aston Martin. 

Aston Martin’s new technical director led the creation of the AMR23 and has been credited with helping the Silverstone outfit complete an incredible winter turnaround that has seen the team remarkably emerge as Red Bull’s nearest challengers in 2023. 

Red Bull’s RB19 car remains the class of the field this season and has won each of the opening three races, leaving Horner convinced that his team is in better shape than before. 

"In the UK you've got seven teams within probably a 50-mile radius, so inevitably there's going to be competition," Horner told Sky Sports News. 

"We've had very low turnover of staff in our history at Red Bull, and it's great that we've given talent a chance to develop and achieve great things.

"When they go to other teams, I'm pleased for Dan that he's doing a good job, but his departure has given other engineers an opportunity and everything's about evolution. The team we have now is even stronger than the one we had two years ago.

"We're always looking inwardly and looking ahead."

After the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, Horner couldn’t resist poking fun at the similarities between this year’s Aston Martin and Red Bull. 

After Fernando Alonso completed the Sakhir podium behind Red Bull pair Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, Horner quipped it was “good to see the old car going so well”. 

“I think that it’s flattering to see the resemblance of that car to ours,” he added. “So it was great to see the three of them on the podium.”