- Pink Bull have dominated the early phases of 2024, profitable three of 4 races
- It comes at a time the place Mercedes have did not safe a single podium end
- Christian Horner selected one other crew when naming Pink Bull’s greatest rivals
Christian Horner has backed Ferrari to be Pink Bull’s closest challengers on the Chinese language Grand Prix this weekend, shunning Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes within the course of.
Crew principal Horner has been the main story of the F1 season after he was the subject of an internal investigation in February after accusations – which he denies – of ‘coercive behaviour’ in the direction of a feminine colleague had been made towards him, before he was cleared.
This hasn’t impacted Pink Bull’s progress on the monitor although, with the crew – who’ve received the earlier two constructors’ championships – dominating the early phases of the marketing campaign.
Max Verstappen is chasing a fourth consecutive world championship and the Dutchman appears to be like on the right track for that after profitable three out of the opening 4 races in 2024, with team-mate Sergio Perez ending second on these events.
Verstappen’s progress was solely halted by an early retirement in Australia, the place Ferrari pairing Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc got here first and second respectively. In reality, Sainz is the one driver apart from Verstappen to win a race throughout the previous 22.
Christian Horner has backed Ferrari to be Pink Bull’s closest challengers on the Chinese language GP
Horner snubbed Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes, who’re enduring a tough marketing campaign to this point
Verstappen has received three out of 4 races as he chases a fourth successive world title
And Horner, talking forward of the Chinese language Grand Prix, felt the Italian crew are Pink Bull’s greatest rivals going forwards.
‘Yeah, I feel that Ferrari positively at that circuit [Melbourne] had been aggressive, and we noticed on Friday that their race tempo was aggressive,’ Horner advised The Mirror.
‘And we count on them to in all probability be our closest competitor there [in China].
‘It is a good circuit. The primary nook goes on without end, and with the high-speed corners onto the again avenue as properly, it is all the time been very punishing on the entrance left tyre.
‘It is obtained a dash race as properly, first dash race of the 12 months – in order that’s one other problem. (There are) a lot of factors obtainable, so it will be fascinating to see how that goes.’
Horner’s snub of Hamilton and Mercedes comes at a time when they’re enduring a dismal marketing campaign with the Brit ninth within the championship.
Neither the seven-time world champion nor team-mate George Russell have secured a podium end this season, and Hamilton now hasn’t received a race since December 2021.
Hamilton has completed seventh, seventh, DNF and ninth this 12 months and heads to China hoping for a drastic enchancment in his fortunes after bemoaning his crew in Japan.
Horner felt Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz had been Pink Bull’s closest challengers
Horner is hoping to information his crew to a 3rd successive constructors’ championship title
‘There have been two actually horrible [sets of] exhausting tyres to run by,’ Hamilton stated after coming ninth in Suzuka.
‘It was an actual problem immediately. I feel I picked up a bit of injury at the start when Charles (Leclerc) got here across the outdoors.
‘I had big understeer for the primary stint and could not flip the automobile. The exhausting tyre was fairly unhealthy and the medium was significantly better.
‘In hindsight, we must always have stored two medium tyres, however generally the automobile was fairly unhealthy immediately.’