Planet-F1

Horner: We have made a big step forward

Thursday 1st May 2008

Team boss Christian Horner claims Mark Webber's Spanish GP result is proof that Red Bull have taken a huge step forward.

Having missed out in the season-opening Australian GP, Webber came back in Malaysia to begin a string of three successive points-finishes, culminating in his fifth placed finish in Barcelona.

It was an impressive result for the team, with Horner claiming that it is proof that Red Bull are on their way up.

"Compared to where we have been last year we have made a big step forward - and also a big step forward compared to the first three races," he told the official F1 website.

"We clearly see obvious potential in the RB4 and Mark's four points confirm that.

"The basis of that good result was a very successful pre-race test that we can hopefully build on in the races to come. What we have to focus on now is to unleash a bit more performance at low and medium speed."

Horner also believes that Red Bull are at present ahead of Williams and Renault in the pecking order, even though Williams are actually ahead of them in the Constructors' standings.

"Take Australia, only six cars finished - unfortunately we were not one of those - but Williams with two cars took a large amount of points out of this event," he explained.

"At the next two races Mark was consistently in the points - and now here in Barcelona we came close to our expectations. The fact is we outraced Renault and Williams fair and square at the last three events.

"True Ferrari, McLaren and BMW are a bit up the road, but thereafter it's incredibly tight and we are right in the middle of that fight."