Christian Horner believes Mercedes have used a significant amount of their budget cap to produce upgrades for the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix.
Mercedes came to Monaco with several new upgrades for the European season, including, most notably, more conventional sidepods after struggling with its radical ‘no’ sidepod concept for two seasons.
“I haven’t had an in-depth look at the upgrades,” said Horner to then media, when asked by Total-Motorsport.com. “Virtually they are different, but sometimes visual things have the least performance impact.
“It’s also usually underneath the skin or the final details that have the biggest impact, so they’ve committed a significant part of their budget cap to this to this upgrade.
“It’s up to a team [to see] how well it applies.”
Reaction to Aston Martin’s partnership with Honda
The big talking point heading into the Monaco GP weekend was news of Aston Martin’s partnership with Honda which will commence in 2026 when new engine regulations arrive in Formula 1.
Red Bull had been in partnership with Honda since 2019, but despite enjoying two drivers championships, uncertainty surrounding the Japanese manufacturer’s F1 plans caused the Milton Keynes-based team to switch to Ford for 2026.
“The relationship with Honda has been phenomenal,” told Horner to select members of the media, including Total-Motorsport.com. “We’ve been treated as a brand for as well as a customer.
“Honda is a great partner to have. I’m sure that the team at Silverstone enjoy working with them But again, that’s still two and a half years away.
“I think for Formula 1, it’s positive that the Honda brand remains in the sport.”
