Red Bull Racing Boss Christian Horner Surprised by Team’s Dominance

This article was last updated on May 8, 2023

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Horner Raises Concerns Over Lack of Competition

Christian Horner, the Red Bull Racing team boss, has expressed surprise over his team’s current dominance in the 2022 Formula 1 season, raising concerns over the lack of competition from Mercedes and Ferrari. Red Bull drivers, Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez, have so far won five of the season’s races.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Horner said, “We had the best start to the season ever, but I do wonder where the competition has gone. I think we took a normal step forward in the development of our car last winter. But it feels like Mercedes and Ferrari have taken a step back.”

Striking Time Difference

The time difference between Red Bull and the competition was particularly striking in the Miami Grand Prix, where Verstappen won by a considerable margin. Fernando Alonso, from Aston Martin, was the only driver consistently standing on the podium alongside Verstappen and Pérez. George Russell of Mercedes finished in fourth place, while Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz came in fifth.

Podium Finishers of the 2022 Formula 1 Season

So far this season, Mercedes and Ferrari have only achieved one podium finish each: Lewis Hamilton finished second in Australia, and Charles Leclerc finished third in Baku. Below are the podium finishers of the 2022 Formula 1 season:

• Bahrain: Verstappen, Perez, Alonso
• Jeddah: Perez, Verstappen, Alonso
• Melbourne: Verstappen, Hamilton, Alonso
• Baku: Pérez, Verstappen, Leclerc
• Miami: Verstappen, Perez, Alonso

Horners Expects Competition to Catch Up

Although surprised by his team’s success so far, Horner expects Mercedes and Ferrari to make a comeback in the upcoming races in Europe. “Mercedes and Ferrari are undoubtedly working hard on updates for the upcoming races in Europe,” said Horner. “It is important for us to make a gap at this stage, because we can only come up with updates much later due to the punishment imposed on us.”

Horner is referring to the penalty imposed on Red Bull last year by the motorsport association FIA for exceeding the budget limit. Apart from the fine, Red Bull was also penalized with 10% less development time in the wind tunnel.

“Fortunately, the car has had a great start and so we don’t have to deal with any major issues,” said Horner. “We can focus on small steps of profit, but I expect it to get even closer later in the year.”

Next Race in Emilia-Romagna, Italy

The next race of the 2022 Formula 1 season will be held in Emilia-Romagna, Italy in two weeks’ time.