Christian Horner throughout the Method 1 Australian Grand Prix on April 10, 2022.
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Christian Horner revealed how Purple Bull’s battle with Ferrari differs from the workforce’s 2021 conflict with eight-time constructors championship winners Mercedes.
Though Max Verstappen defeated Lewis Hamilton final 12 months in a championship battle that went right down to the ultimate lap of the closing race, the Silver Arrows took dwelling the constructors prize.
“There’s an terrible lot of rigidity between Mercedes and Purple Bull,” workforce principal Christian Horner advised The Put up forward of Sunday’s Method 1 Australian Grand Prix.
“[They’re] primarily based 10 miles up the highway from our manufacturing facility, and you've got the engine facet as properly,” he added, referencing the a number of engine personnel who just lately left the workforce to hitch Purple Bull Powertrains.
The opening races of the 2022 season have seen Verstappen combating wheel-to-wheel with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, whereas Hamilton’s Mercedes automotive has struggled to search out tempo.
“There’s a respectful rivalry,” Horner stated of the Italian outfit. “There’s not fairly the identical depth.”
His feedback got here amid a disappointing end in Australia for the reigning world champion, who regarded set to complete second behind Leclerc earlier than having to retire his automotive with 20 laps to go.
It was the Dutchman’s second DNF in simply three races.
“We put a lot into final 12 months’s world championship that we thought we have been the final workforce to return onto the 2022 rules,” Horner defined. “It was clearly a priority for us that we might begin the season on the again foot.”
“I feel Ferrari are very sturdy in the intervening time [but] Mercedes will resolve their issues, I’ve received little question about that. … Our essential focus is on ourselves.”
Horner later advised reporters the end result was “desperately irritating,” because the workforce fell again into third place within the constructors championship.
“We will’t settle for DNFs, however we have to perceive what the difficulty is and tackle it,” he stated. “I’d reasonably repair a quick automotive than attempt to make a dependable, gradual one quick. We have to get on prime of it.”
Ferrari are actually 39 factors forward of second-place Mercedes, whereas Purple Bull trails an extra 10 factors behind.
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