It is still hard for many fans to believe the struggle that Mercedes has been through all of this season. And Red Bull boss Christian Horner is no different. He also is having a tough time believing what has happened this season. Red Bull\’s lead driver Max Verstappen is cruising to his second title, and Horner has said that he was surprised by how difficult it has been for Mercedes to compete with Red Bull.
Principal Christian Horner Is Surprised By Mercedes\’ Performance!
After believing his team may have lost their prospects after the epic battle with Mercedes last year, Christian Horner has been astounded by Red Bull\’s title push this year. Verstappen won his first title in a contentious manner on the final lap of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after Red Bull invested everything into the final term.
The team manager referred to the Silver Arrows\’ lack of a victory this season as \”very amazing\” after nearly a decade of dominance in Formula One. Because of how competitive Mercedes has been, Christian Horner expects them to be in a \”similar position\” to last season. According to him, Mercedes made a lot of fuss about jeopardizing last year\’s title by switching over to their 2022 vehicle so early because they did so. Naturally, when their automobile finally broke cover. Especially with this update, it seemed to be completely different.
Mercedes came into the season as the eight-time defending Constructors\’ champions after adjusting to the new rules in 2017, 2019, and 2021. Then, the ground-effect vehicles returned to Formula One for 2022 as a part of radical new technical regulations. As a result, Mercedes suffered in the first races because of the bouncing, which severely hindered them. With only six races left, Mercedes has to win a Grand Prix to avoid its first winless season since 2011. Despite showing great indications of revival, the German racing team has yet to do so this season.
Mercedes has already addressed these issues. Although Red Bull and Ferrari still outperform them in terms of straight-line speed. The German manufacturer has, however, amassed a number of podium finishes and consistently ranks third quickest on race weekends.
Verstappen currently leads the nearest competitor Charles Leclerc by 116 points with six races left. This is amid concerns about the ripple effect into this season. Meanwhile, he might win the Formula One championship twice in Singapore if things go his way. 139 points separate Red Bull and the Scuderia in the fight for the constructors\’ championship. There Red Bull now enjoys a dominating advantage.