Red Bull drop race win target for 2019

After three races in 2019, Red Bull no longer has a target for the number of race wins. Prior to the season, buoyed by the promise of the new works Red Bull-Honda pairing, Dr Helmut Marko said he wanted five victories before the season finale in December.

Marko also said Max Verstappen ought to be targeting a title triumph which would make him Formula 1's youngest drivers' champion.

"We all know that Helmut is an optimist," team boss Christian Horner said after Verstappen split the Ferraris for fourth place in China.

"The truth is that we have no target for the number of wins. Our goal is to reduce the gap to the leaders."

Horner was speaking after both he and Marko acknowledged that Red Bull currently has an "aerodynamic problem", although things looked better in China.

"At the moment the maximum we can do is score points," Verstappen told Ziggo Sport after Shanghai.

Horner agreed: "We all want to achieve maximum competitiveness as quickly as possible."

On top of Red Bull's pace issues, Pierre Gasly has notably struggled to get up to speed alongside Verstappen in 2019.

It has triggered rumours that Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat will be re-promoted into the Red Bull Racing cockpit.

But Horner said in China that Gasly is now finding his feet.

"I think we saw Pierre have an easier weekend, even if he's not completely comfortable," he said.

"He is now in the process of adjusting his style to correspond to the characteristics of the car, but there is already progress in that.

"We saw him do the fastest lap in the race so hopefully that will give him some confidence."

Gasly agreed: "I am feeling better in the car.

"We still have a lot of work to do, but every weekend we are taking a step forward. I just wish I was making three steps every weekend instead."

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