Red Bull boss Christian Horner has suddenly toned down his team's expectations ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.
Since confirming they would ditch Renault for Honda engines in 2019, the bosses at the Milton Keynes-based outfit have talked up title challenges with Max Verstappen and the potential of the Japanese supplier.
Now just days away from the start of the season, when the first indications will be seen, however, Horner claimed it was time for a "realistic" approach.
“We’ve got an exciting new partnership with Honda starting this weekend so it’s off to a positive start but we have to keep expectations realistic,” he said at a launch event in Melbourne on Wednesday.
“There’s a big gap to close from Mercedes and Ferrari, but we’re confident that we can do that during the course of the year.”
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Interestingly, that is more in line with comments Verstappen himself has made suggesting it is better to wait and see before making any bold predictions.
That being said, he and teammate Pierre Gasly remain upbeat.
“It was very nice to experience the car, with the new partnership with Honda,” the Dutchman said looking back on testing. “It’s very exciting times for us.”
His new 2019 partner added: “It’s an amazing opportunity. It’s probably the best place to be in Red Bull, with (these) guys next to me.”
