Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner says that Formula 1 is due for a reset and he's looking forward to the changes coming to the sport when new regulations for the sport kick in beginning in 2021.

Autoweek recently caught up the the man who helped orchestrate Red Bull's four-year championship run that saw then Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel capture the world championship from 2010-2013. And what we found was that Horner is also a race fan who would like to see some changes to the sport, specifically changes that takes at least some of the power from the technicians and gives it back to the drivers.

Here are some of Horner's takes on the on-track product, the appeal of slowing the cars, the value of sponsorships in Formula 1, and Red Bull's collaboration with Aston Martin on the Valkrie supercar project:

AW: How are negotiations progressing for the new F1 regulations in 2021? Are you satisfied with all the voices and is there a consensus?

CH: Not really and there never is. So, it needs the promoter to say this is what we want the sport to be, put down the rules and say this is the entry form these are the rules…sign up if you want to do it.

Red Bull chief technical officer Adrian Newey, left, and Horner celebrate a Daniel Ricciardo win earlier this season. Motorsport Images-LAT

AW: What would you say to the American perception that there’s not enough passing or overtaking for the lead and that races are not competitive enough?

CH: I agree with all those comments, I think, that's where we got to reset for 2021 and a clean sheet of paper to get the cars to be able to follow closer to the race harder. We need the drivers to be the stars and to put on a great show because there's so much competition now across all the sporting spectacles. F1 can't just be about the start of the first few laps or if it rains. Every Grand Prix has got to be an hour and 20 minutes flat out action.

AW: Can that be done maintaining current speeds and lap times?

CH: I don't think if we took five seconds off the lap time you would see it. So, I think we just need to make sure that cars can follow closely, can race, and that the drivers are the biggest denominator. And of course, Formula 1 is a team sport but ultimately the drivers to need to be the heroes.

AW: Do you think a reduction in speeds and a reduction in lap times is the future?

CH: I think we obsessed too much about lap time and I think we need to focus more on great racing because I think we took five seconds of the call you wouldn't see it but if the racing was better for an hour and 20 minutes I think that's ultimately a better product. There's work going on between the commercial rights holder, the Liberty (Media) guys and the FIA governing body to try and come up with a set of rules.

AW: Is there another series that is a model for that?

CH: Moto GP motor racing is fantastic, whether you can achieve that with four wheels I don’t know, but that should be the target. We want that kind of racing in Formula 1.

AW: Motorsport is seeing a new golden era especially in sports car racing. What would you tell manufacturers who are hesitant to get into motorsport in 2018 about the benefits and what they get out of it?

CH: Motorsport, specifically Formula 1 is the biggest marketing tool in the world. So, you know, some has more coverage than any other sports apart from the Olympic Games and the (Soccer) World Cup. And of course, they only happen every four years. So, from a marketing leveraging and positioning point of view, there's no better return on investment than Formula 1. Obviously, the technology involved in the sport is very sophisticated and I think costs are out of proportion a little bit. So, there's a lot of work going on so reduce costs moving forward, particularly from 2021 onwards.

Autoweek: You’ve got a couple transitional years coming up. Are you energized by looking at what you have to work within the next couple years?

Christian Horner: Yeah very much so. We’ve got regulations to the end of 2020, a new engine partner coming in and awful lot of technology being exchanged and then 2021 is a clean sheet of paper so there’s an awful lot going on now and then together with the advanced technology side of the business with Aston martin and the Valkyrie car and then the Valkyrie track car. So, it’s very busy back in the U.K.

AW: How does Valkyrie compare to a Formula 1 car?

CH: Well there’s an awful lot of DNA that’s come out of Formula 1 and gone into this car. It’s of course a close wheel car and the opportunity without regulations or constrains that there are in Formula 1. The diffusor on it is insane, the amount of downforce it generates is insane. It really has given Adrian the freedom to push the boundaries of what is basically a diffusor on wheels. Even on road car tires it will be competitive in the Formula 2 field.

AW: What kind of performance are we seeing during testing with Valkyrie?

CH: That’s all-in simulation world now but it's highly encouraging. It's going to be an incredible and iconic car. We're really excited, it should start running just before Christmas this year or early next year. It'll start its track testing but in the simulation world its highly impressive.

AW: At this stage, what sort of final tuning or tweaking is there before the final car?

CH: Most of the designs are now fixed so right now it’s just releasing the drawing components. It’s in the production world now getting the bits made. They’re getting together the transmission and power unit sounding great looking and delivering fantastic power so that's really exciting.

AW: What about acceleration?

CH: Not until we put it in the car, but it’s going to be insane. I think this car will raise the bar in some way.

AW: There’s got to be some excitement internally around that car too.

CH: Oh huge, the buzz around that car…it’s been a long project that’s been three and a half years in the design process and to see that parts coming through…They look like parts of a Swiss clock. It’s going to be beautiful car.

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