Although Mercedes hasn’t had a great start to the new F1 campaign, Red Bull boss Christian Horner feels that the reigning Constructors’ champions will soon find their winning mantra.
Mercedes were tipped to compete against Red Bull and Ferrari in the qualifying sessions in Bahrain. However, the British manufacturer was simply not able to keep up with either of their competitors as Lewis Hamilton finished qualifying in P5 whilst George Russell managed P9.
The early signs weren’t promising for Mercedes as they looked off the pace during the race as well. However, the team was fortunate to see Lewis Hamilton on the podium and George Russell in P4 after Red Bull suffered a disastrous engine issue which forced both their drivers to retire before the chequered flag.
Now as we head into the 2nd Grand Prix of the season in Saudi Arabia, there is still a lot of expectations riding on Mercedes. However, despite not being able to challenge Ferrari and Red Bull in the season opener, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner feels that Mercedes will soon find their feet and start winning races.
Christian Horner on Mercedes’ early-season struggles
While speaking to Channel 4, Horner explained the engine problems suffered by his team and was then asked whether he was happy to see Mercedes so far behind Red Bull on pace. The Englishman did acknowledge that Mercedes were unable to get their best car at Bahrain but stated that it would be foolhardy to write off the eight-time Constructors’ champions so early in the season.
Horner also warned that Mercedes may not be too far away from winning races again. “I think when you watch their car on the circuit it obviously doesn’t look easy for their drivers at the moment. But what we do know is their ability to bounce back. I mean, they’ve had difficult pre-seasons before and then gone and won the first race.” he said.
“So I think until we’ve seen… a sample of three or four races, you’re not going to get a true picture of form and, of course, with the regulations being so immature, the development rate is going to be fast, it’s going to be steep, and of course, a team like Mercedes – with the strength and depth that they have – will bounce back very, very quickly if they are on the back foot.” Horner concluded.
The Red Bull chief will be hoping that his team are now able to put up a fight against Ferrari when the F1 contingent arrives in Saudi Arabia this weekend.
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