Mercedes have evidently struggled to compete at the front of the grid during the 2022 championship with the W13’s porpoising issues. However, the Silver Arrows looked to have progressed over the course of the season while new challenges have come to haunt them. The team has not won a single race this season. They are 116 points behind leaders Red Bull in the constructors’ championship. But, the Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes that Mercedes could be a factor at Silverstone with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell returning to Britain at their home circuit in Silverstone.
The seven-time world champ won the race last year after making contact with Verstappen, knocking the Dutchman out of the race. Thus, with Mercedes bringing some upgrades at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone could be their best chance of winning. The team has gone through some tough, bumpy street circuits in Monaco, Baku, and Montreal. But, the more conventional and comparatively smoother track could allow the Silver Arrows to regain the pace they showed in Barcelona.
Horner hopes for a better race this season in Silverstone after Hamilton and Verstappen made contact last year at 180 mph at Copse during the first lap. The Red Bull team principal told that racing at Silverstone is always a thrill. He shared that it would be a local race for Red Bull as their factory is 15 minutes up the road from the circuit. Christian was confident that Hamilton, Russell, and Lando Norris would receive great support from their home crowd.
Red Bull Principal Predicts Mercedes’ Competitiveness In Britain
Horner stated that Red Bull is leading both the championships like they did last year, coming to Silverstone. However, the 48-year-old hoped to have better results than last year. Meanwhile, Mercedes showed some glimpses of their competitive pace in Montreal. They followed Red Bull and Ferrari closely during the last 15 laps, following a late Safety Car restart.
The Red Bull boss believes Ferrari might have the edge on a more conventional and faster circuit with a more straight-line pace. Moreover, he was happy that his team nailed their performance in Canada and Baku. They have now won six races in a row. Talking about the Silver Arrows’ performance in Montreal, Horner said, “Mercedes’ pace in the race today was, you know, they were competitive. Smooth circuit at Silverstone, they could be a factor.”
Further, Christian is aware that Ferrari is good in the high-speed circuits, which was evident in Barcelona. So, the Red Bull boss felt the winning momentum could shift back to the Italian racing team. Moreover, Horner mentioned that Red Bull knew Azerbaijan and Canada were tracks that favored them. He added, “And we have nailed those two results, which I’m really delighted with.”