Horner reveals "brutal" factor in F1 upgrade race

Red Bull

Horner reveals "brutal" factor in F1 upgrade race

Can teams overcome this hurdle?

Ewan Gale

Friday 13 May 2022 08:00

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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes teams will have to "strategically" decide where to introduce upgrades this year due to the budget cap and "brutal" inflation.

With F1 introducing a new set of regulations for this campaign, the championship will likely come down to who can win the race to develop the car from its starting point, rather than being quick off the mark early on.

Red Bull has already introduced an upgrade package that helped clinch victory at Imola and Miami, whilst Ferrari is expected to add its first update of the year at the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix.

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"I think with the budget cap this year, it is very hard to just bring continuous developments," said Horner when asked what Red Bull's development plan was.

"So you have just got to strategically pick where you want to introduce your components because especially with inflation the way it is, that is brutal."

Horner pleased with Red Bull straight-line speed

Whilst the new regulations have seen radical changes for every team on the grid, Red Bull has had another headache to contend with.

The Milton Keynes-based outfit was known for its extreme rake angle during the previous generation of F1 with the front of the car pointed into the track surface and the rear wing sat up in the air.

Yet ground-effect aerodynamics dictates low-running, low-rake designs, adding to Red Bull's understanding period.

"Obviously it is very different this year with the set-up," explained Horner.

"We are running... there is no rake in the car essentially.

"We have developed a car that has good straight-line speed and we have seen that at pretty much every race this year."