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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is expecting Ferrari to put up an 'epic' fight for the rest of the F1 season after the 2022 Saudi Arabian GP.
Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc resumed their rivalry from the season opener in Bahrain with some scintillating wheel-to-wheel racing that delighted fans and neutrals alike.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after Verstappen's hard-fought win over Leclerc, Christian Horner confirmed he wants more of the same. The Briton said:
“They’re all competitive teams, Ferrari is a big team and has been a sleeping giant for a couple of years. Ferrari has got a great car, they’ve got great drivers. It was a really tough battle today and if that’s what we’re set for in the rest of the season, it’s going to be epic.”
Horner's team have established their own Powertrains division after Honda's exit from F1. When asked if his side could match Ferrari in pace and development, the Red Bull boss said:
“It’s about the cost cap and where you place your development. We’ve got to keep winding the handle hard now because with such new regulations the steps are going to be big and fast. Our opponents are going to stand still so we have to keep development coming through to this car.”
"He just got unlucky" - Red Bull boss Christian Horner on Sergio Perez's P4 finish at the 2022 Saudi Arabian GP
Despite being jubilant after Max Verstappen's first win of 2022, Horner also found time to praise Sergio Perez, who he felt was unlucky on the night.
The Mexican started on pole and seemed to be on course to fight for a win before an ill-timed safety car scuppered his chances for a second win with Red Bull.
Describing Perez's race, Horner said:
“Such bad luck for Checo [Sergio Perez]. He had done all the hard work at the beginning of the race and then to have the safety car come out at the wrong time, you can’t do anything about that. A great weekend for him. He’s driven brilliantly all weekend and I think he’s taken a lot of confidence. He got that pole, his race pace was great and he just got unlucky with the track position with the safety car. As we’ve seen, that sometimes happens.”
Perez eventually crossed the checkered line in P4, narrowly missing out on the chance to put up a late fight for a podium after yellow flags were waved towards the end of the race.
