“We don't take anything for granted”: Red Bull boss wary of Mercedes and Ferrari threat despite strong start to the F1 season

Despite the domination Red Bull have shown at the start of the 2023 season, team principal Christian Horner is not taking anything for granted as their rivals look set for big upgrades as the season progresses.

The Austrian team have won the first three races of the season, securing 1-2 finishes in two of them. While the RB19 and their drivers' abilities have to be credited for their success, the struggles of rivals Mercedes and Ferrari have made it easy for them to collect 123 points in the constructors' standings.

However, Christian Horner is still wary of the threat their rivals can pose. He believes that throughout the season, other teams will develop and Red Bull will have to keep up with their pace to remain competitive. He said (via Soy Motor):

"Many things could change. There are rumors of big updates for Mercedes and Ferrari once we get to Europe. We don't take anything for granted. That's why we try to do the best possible job as much as possible."

While their rivals are expected to bring major upgrades later in the season, Red Bull might have to face some obstacles in the development of their car.

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Red Bull could be impacted by the limited wind tunnel time, hints Horner

Red Bull are operating with a 10% reduced wind tunnel usage time as a part of the penalty they received for breaching the cost cap in the 2021 season. The penalty hasn't had much of an impact at the start of the season, but Christian Horner believes it could play a big role in the development of the car. He said:

"The team has done a great job over the winter in the limited time we've had in the wind tunnel to develop our car and of course that will have an impact later in the year and next year as well. In a snapshot of three races I think he is still very premature. There are still many races ahead."

Mercedes looked like they could hold their own against Red Bull during the Australian Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton finished second, right behind Max Verstappen. Reports suggest that the Silver Arrows will introduce a new design philosophy later in the season, which could make them more competitive than they currently are.

Ferrari, on the other hand, are expected to bring in upgrades to their design as well by the Emilia Romagna GP at Imola after their weak start to the season.

This could provide competition to Red Bull, which the team is expecting, so it will all depend on their developmental pace after that point.