Red Bull Racing F1 team principal Christian Horner says there is “not an ounce” to wish Ferrari could put up a better fight for the F1 title this year.
Max Verstappen’s stunning comeback victory from 10th on the grid at the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix gave Verstappen a seemingly impregnable 80-point championship lead.
Max Verstappen’s winning streak was aided by Ferrari’s strategic blunder that ruined Charles Leclerc’s race. .
A series of mistakes and failures for Ferrari have given Red Bull Racing an unlikely position in both championships, with the title race already entering its anti-climax.
This is in stark contrast to the huge championship battle that raged between Mercedes and Red Bull over the course of last season.
Asked if there was any part of him that he would have liked to have seen Ferrari put up more of a fight, Christian Horner said: “I have never wished for an ounce of that.”
“Last year was a 22-fight heavyweight fight, and I hope I never have to go through that again.”
Max Verstappen is already in a dominant position in the championship and could even win a second F1 title without winning a race in the second half.
Meanwhile, Red Bull Racing are headed for their first Constructors’ title since 2013, with a 97-point lead over Ferrari with nine races remaining.
“The points table looks healthy and a great way to end the summer break,” added Christian Horner.
“But there are still many races to go. Ferrari are fast and Mercedes are back in the game. We still have a long way to go in this championship and sprint racing.”
“So we don’t take anything for granted. We still have a lot of races to do and they are at very different venues.”
Ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Ferrari F1 team principal Mattia Binotto said he saw no reason why the team could not win all the remaining races to defend its world championship hopes.
Christian Horner insists Red Bull Racing will always remain cautious about its competitiveness, slightly mocking Mattia Binotto’s remarks.
“Even though I was winning with one lap to go, I think I was always naturally cautious,” said Horner.
“We never claim to finish first and second in the next race. That’s how we race.”
“We’re focused here and now and we’re doing each race on the fly. We weren’t very competitive on Saturday, but we were very competitive on Sunday.”
Category: F1 / red bull / Ferrari