Christian Horner feels Red Bull should have adopted an approach to the RB20 more similar to the direction its F1 rivals went in over the winter.
Christian Horner believes Red Bull may have gone "too complex" with the RB20, whereas its F1 rivals have opted for "simpler" evolutions of their previous cars.
The team principal of the Milton Keynes-based team has suggested the reigning champions need to "simplify a few things" in order to regain competitiveness.
Whilst the likes of McLaren, who trail Red Bull by only eight points in the constructors' standings, have further developed their cars from last year, the Horner-led squad opted to revolutionise last year's RB19, which won 21 of 22 grand prix, with conceptual changes.
Now, that drastic departure from its closest rivals is appearing more and more costly.
In Horner's words, there is a "disconnect" between the front and rear of the RB20 and balancing the car is becoming increasingly difficult.
Further still, the lack of correlation between the wind tunnel and on-track performance is leading the team into development black holes.
"I think you've got to look at all aspects of the car," the 50-year-old explained to media including RacingNews365.
"There's a balance issue with the car that isn't allowing the drivers to commit to corner entry.
"As soon as you've calmed down the rear, you do that by compromising the front, so then you end up with understeer, and then you kill your tyre that way.
"So, I think what we really need to do is get the map - if you look at McLaren, it almost looks like an evolution of last year's car, a much simpler car than ours.
"Perhaps we've gone a little too complex, and perhaps we need simplify a few things."
At the Italian Grand Prix, Red Bull only had the fourth-fastest car, despite enjoying a sizeable pace advantage early in the year.
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez could only manage sixth and eighth-place finishes at Monza, respectively and with eight rounds left to run, Red Bull faces an uphill battle in retaining its constructors' crown.
Verstappen's 62-point advantage over Lando Norris, meanwhile, is looking precariously thin, having been assumed too high to breach when it stood at 78 points just two rounds ago.
When asked if he felt Red Bull was the first to reach a level of development in the current regulations where there is an inherent problem, Horner replied: "I think so, I think potentially so.
"We've hit the ceiling in certain areas and the cars disconnected, and sometimes maybe [its better] to have slightly less load but an overall better balance to generate better lap time, better degradation, better tyre management, all of those aspects."
