Red Bull secured their eighth race win of the 2022 season last weekend at the French Grand Prix. With this, the Austrian outfit significantly extended its lead over Ferrari in the constructors' standings after Charles Leclerc was forced to retire from the race. While team boss Christian Horner credits his unit's efforts for a strong first half of the season, fans seem to believe that Ferrari paved the way for Red Bull with their blunders.
In a post-race interaction at the 2022 F1 French GP, Horner implied that the team's massive success over the season so far is simply a product of the "determination, dedication, and hard work" of the team. He said:
“Look, if you would have told me that going into last year that with the biggest regulation change in 40 years and with the effort we put into last year’s championship, that we’d be sitting here with eight Grand Prix victories, two Sprint victories and leading both championships with 64 and 82 points, that would have been beyond my wildest expectations.”
“And I think that it is really a testament to the determination, dedication. and the hard work that has gone on behind the scenes at the factory. Now, we've seen Ferrari are very competitive also this year, we’ve seen other teams – Mercedes for sure are gathering momentum – but considering that we were probably the last team to transition [development] fully onto this car it’s been a phenomenal job.”
Horner's comments did not sit well with a section of fans who took to social media to question the legality of the RB18. Others claimed that if Mercedes had got the regulations right at the start of the season and were back in contention for the title, Red Bull would potentially be unlikely to enjoy such a significant lead in the championship.
Here are some fan reactions to Christian Horner's comments
Red Bull boss "frustrated" for Sergio Perez on missing out on a podium at 2022 F1 French GP
Red Bull took home some big points last weekend at the 2022 F1 French GP with Max Verstappen's victory. The team, however, certainly missed out on a potential second podium for Sergio Perez, who lost his battle for third to George Russell.
Team boss Christian Horner explained that the timing of the VSC frustratingly cost the Mexican a podium finish, saying:
“It was frustrating we didn’t have Checo on the podium too, it was just bad timing for the virtual safety car for him, there was a software error so they were held longer than they should have been. We have to keep pushing this season and look to get the best out of every ounce of performance, there are lots of factors at play but today was a big day for us.”
Sergio Perez also later mentioned a "software error" that gave the driver incorrect data regarding the VSC, eventually costing him a third-place result.