Red Bull had a flawless winter test with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Verstappen in particular was fast and managed to impress, where Mercedes seemed to be struggling with the new W12. Lewis Hamilton made several mistakes and Valtteri Bottas also complained about the unstable rear of the car.
No matter how positively the world, including Mercedes, speaks about the new Red Bull, Christian Horner does not let himself be fooled. The Verstappen team boss expects Mercedes to play a game and remains extremely cautious about his prediction for the new season. “We have become more cautious, because we should not underestimate the challenge that lies ahead on many fronts,” Horner says in his column.
“We know that Mercedes has not won by accident over the past seven years. They have a lot of quality and class within the team and will be very motivated to come back strongly. We saw that a few years ago in the winter tests, but then they downgraded. everyone at the first race. “
“So you can’t take anything for granted. We focus only on ourselves.”
Nevertheless, Horner also sees plenty of starting points for a good year ahead: “At this stage it is good that we have a solid basis from which to develop the car.”
Horner sees through the game of Mercedes: “Of course they try to divert attention from themselves. That is part of the game. The reality is, however, that they are seven-time world champions and it is up to Red Bull to close the gap and take the fight. Mercedes had the strongest car last year and this car is an evolution of that. “
Verstappen and Hamilton are getting ready for a first showdown this weekend in Bahrain. The Bahrain Grand Prix is the first of a total of 23 races to be on the F1 calendar in 2021.
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