Horner has "no doubt" over Mercedes fight

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has "no doubt" Mercedes will join his team and Ferrari at the top of F1 despite a difficult start to the season.

The two teams went toe-to-toe with each other last year with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen taking the championship battle right to the final lap of the campaign.

But whilst reigning drivers' champion Verstappen has already taken a victory for the highly competitive Red Bull RB18, Hamilton and team-mate George Russell have been left searching for answers as to why the Mercedes W13 is struggling for pace so much.

Hamilton failed to qualify past Q1 and was able to fight back only to 10th and asked for his thoughts on Red Bull's rivals, Horner said: "They are struggling. I have no feelings about their competitiveness.

"Obviously, I am focused on our competitiveness in what is a very intense fight with Ferrari at the moment. I have no doubt that at some point, Mercedes will join that battle but my focus is very much on our team."

Red Bull must "build momentum" after Verstappen victory

Verstappen's victory over Charles Leclerc ensured Red Bull reclaimed lost ground to Ferrari having suffered a double retirement in the season opener in Bahrain.

To restore parity in the championship, Red Bull would have to repeat the Saudi Arabian result five times over and asked if overhauling the gap was a big ask, Horner replied: "It is still early in the season.

"Luck tends to even itself out over the course of the year so I think we have just got to go race by race.

"We are off the mark now, we are on the scoreboard, we have won our first race of the year, both drivers have been again, very competitive and we have just got to build some momentum."

F1's new cars - have they made racing better?

Related

Latest F1 News

Newey exit DATE revealed as Red Bull F1 chief set to leave

• Today 08:27

Latest F1 News

Horner reveals 'unhuman' Verstappen secret

• April 24, 2024 19:58