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Christian Horner revealed how Red Bull’s battle with Ferrari differs from the team’s 2021 clash with eight-time constructors championship winners Mercedes.
Although Max Verstappen defeated Lewis Hamilton last year in a championship battle that went down to the final lap of the closing race, the Silver Arrows took home the constructors prize.
“There’s an awful lot of tension between Mercedes and Red Bull,” team principal Christian Horner told The Post ahead of Sunday’s Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
“[They’re] based 10 miles up the road from our factory, and you have the engine side as well,” he added, referencing the several engine personnel who recently left the team to join Red Bull Powertrains.
The opening races of the 2022 season have seen Verstappen fighting wheel-to-wheel with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, while Hamilton’s Mercedes car has struggled to find pace.
“There’s a respectful rivalry,” Horner said of the Italian outfit. “There’s not quite the same intensity.”
His comments came amid a disappointing result in Australia for the reigning world champion, who looked set to finish second behind Leclerc before having to retire his car with 20 laps to go.
It was the Dutchman’s second DNF in just three races.
“We put so much into last year’s world championship that we thought we were the last team to come onto the 2022 regulations,” Horner explained. “It was obviously a concern for us that we would start the season on the back foot.”
“I think Ferrari are very strong at the moment [but] Mercedes will solve their problems, I’ve got no doubt about that. … Our main focus is on ourselves.”
Horner later told reporters the result was “desperately frustrating,” as the team fell back into third place in the constructors championship.
“We can’t accept DNFs, but we need to understand what the issue is and address it,” he said. “I’d rather fix a fast car than try and make a reliable, slow one fast. We need to get on top of it.”
Ferrari are now 39 points ahead of second-place Mercedes, while Red Bull trails a further 10 points behind.
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