F1 News
Doornbos: "I don't expect Mercedes to go into the year very relaxed"
- GPblog.com
According to Robert Doornbos, 2021 is the year in which Red Bull Racing can come out on top, unlike in previous years. However, the former Formula 1 driver thinks Mercedes will again be the big favourite.
Good from the beginning
"Mercedes of course started developing the car for this year quite early, but Red Bull could also start on time this time, as they finished second among the constructors quite easily," Doornbos begins in conversation with Motorsport.com. On top of that, a large part of the 2020 car will be used for the 2021 car.
Doornbos is also happy with the appointment of Sergio Perez as the second driver. The F1 analyst expects the Mexican to be able to make things difficult for Lewis Hamilton. "So I don't expect Mercedes to go into the year very relaxed. But of course, they remain favourites."
Verstappen should be able to go for the title
"That chance has been there every year," Doornbos said of Verstappen's title chances in 2021. According to the Dutchman, it is mainly about how much performance Red Bull can still get out of the car and that it does not come at the expense of reliability. "They also have to make sure that that thing just reaches the finish line every weekend and doesn't stall five times like last year."