Horner surprised by 2022 performance: 'I didn't expect that'
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Christian Horner did not expect Red Bull Racing to be so competitive in 2022. The team boss of the Austrian formation stated to CNN that his team took a huge risk in 2021, but that it has worked out well.
Backlog after world title
Red Bull Racing competed for the world title in 2021 until the last day and eventually won it with Max Verstappen. Red Bull continued to develop the RB16B until the very last race. With completely new regulations in place for 2022, the Milton Keynes-based team was losing ground in developing the new car.
''Having put so much effort into last year's car, to come on to these new regulations, we elected to take that risk because we had an opportunity to win last year and you've got to go for it,'' says the Brit.
Pressure on Red Bull
It put pressure on Horner's team in the second half of the season, when much more time suddenly had to be put into the new car. Red Bull had to play catch-up, and Horner therefore did not expect the current 2022 results. ''Personally, I didn't expect us to start the year as competitively as we have.''
Indeed, Red Bull has already won three races and even scored its first one-two in Imola since 2016. ''I think testimony to all the team for doing such a phenomenal job in such a short space of time,'' concludes the team boss of Verstappen and Sergio Perez.