'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Red Bull are focused on their own competitiveness and do not have time for struggling rivals Mercedes, according to team principal Christian Horner.
Red Bull have started the season stronger than the Silver Arrows, barring their late implosion in Bahrain. The gulf in class between Horner's side and that of the reigning constructors' champions was most obvious during qualifying last weekend.
Lewis Hamilton failed to make it out of Q1 on sheer pace for the first time since joining Mercedes in Jeddah. After it was confirmed that the Briton had qualified in P16, Horner had this to say during an interview:
“They are struggling. I have no feelings about their competitiveness. Obviously, I am focused on our competitiveness in what is a very intense fight with Ferrari at the moment. I have no doubt that at some point, Mercedes will join that battle but my focus is very much on our team.”
After a dismal end to the race in Bahrain, Red Bull finally had some points on the board through Verstappen's win and Sergio Perez's P4 finish. They still trail Mercedes by one point and another 40 is the deficit to Ferrari.
Red Bull "have just got to go race by race" in F1 2022 season, feels Christian Horner
Despite Max Verstappen outfoxing Charles Leclerc towards the end of the Grand Prix in Jeddah, Horner admits his team still needs to build momentum in the early stages of the season.
Horner also feels luck will even things out over the course of the season after their missed haul of points in Bahrain. Speaking in an interview following the Saudi Arabian GP, the Red Bull boss said:
“It is still early in the season. Luck tends to even itself out over the course of the year, so I think we have just got to go race by race. We are off the mark now, we are on the scoreboard, we have won our first race of the year, both drivers have been again, very competitive and we have just got to build some momentum.”
After two thrilling races in the Middle East, the spotlight will now shift to the revamped Albert Park circuit in Melbourne, which will play host to the 2022 Australian GP next.
