"They had a pace advantage and that gives you more strategic options" - Red Bull admits it didn't have the 'range' against Ferrari at 2022 F1 Austrian GP

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has conceded that his team did not have the pace to take the fight to Ferrari during the 2022 F1 Austrian GP.

Max Verstappen dominated during Friday's qualifying session as well as the second Sprint race of the season to claim victory and started the 71-lap race on Sunday from P1. However, an unforeseen tire degradation issue appeared to derail Red Bull's charge to take the fight to Ferrari.

Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports after Verstappen's P2 finish at the Red Bull Ring, Christian Horner shared his thoughts on the race, saying:

“Very important points today and congratulations to Ferrari today they had a quicker car throughout the majority of the race. Max was coming back at the end there but our tyre deg was higher from halfway through the first stint and it was hard to combat that. Ferrari just seemed lighter on the tyres and obviously they had a pace advantage and that gives you more strategic options.”

Verstappen was the only Red Bull driver to cross the finish line as Sergio Perez was forced to retire after his car picked up substantial damage following an opening lap incident with Mercedes' George Russell.

Horner and Red Bull's blow was softened to an extent when Ferrari's Carlos Sainz also failed to finish the race after his car caught on fire. The 48-year-old added:

“Losing Checo was obviously hugely disappointing. It is unlucky for them [Ferrari] today with Carlos [Sainz] but our pace at the end of the race, we still have the fastest lap, but we didn’t have the range we had yesterday and that is something we need to understand. Over the two races we have only given away five points with Max so it is not too bad. We are hugely disappointed with Checo.”

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"Things change quickly in F1" - Red Bull's Max Verstappen does not have 2022 world title in the bag, according to David Coulthard

Max Verstappen does not have the 2022 F1 World Championship wrapped up just yet, according to former driver-turned-television analyst David Coulthard.

After two DNFs in the first three races of the season, the reigning world champion was on a roll with five wins and six podium finishes before his run came to an end with a P7 finish at the 2022 F1 British GP.

This run of good form, coupled with Ferrari's shortcomings that have hamstrung Charles Leclerc to an extent, has helped Max Verstappen build up a formidable lead in the World Drivers' Championship standings.

A successful defense of the Dutchman's 2021 championship, however, is far from a forgone conclusion, according to Coulthard. Speaking to the media in the build-up to the 2022 F1 British GP, the Briton said:

“I don’t, I really don’t I think that, you know, Ferrari, if they hadn’t had those two non-finishes, then it would have made a big difference. I think things change quickly in Formula 1. I think that the Ferrari is still fundamentally a fast car, which has obviously got reliability issues. And you know, we saw again, [Sergio] Perez had reliability issues on the [2022 F1 Canadian GP] weekend. So you know, let’s see how the season plays out.”

He continued:

“But, you know, he’s [Verstappen] on a roll, there’s no question. He’s driving beautifully. But Carlos Sainz looked pretty quick on the weekend, maybe if that had been Charles [Leclerc] up there, maybe he would have had a go, who knows.”

After his P2 finish in Austria, the Dutchman is still leading the World Drivers' Championship standings with 208 points at the halfway point of the season. Charles Leclerc is in P2, 38 points behind the Dutchman.