Horner: Ferrari’s return is “a good thing for F1”
Christian Horner stated that Ferrari's return to the front was a good thing for Formula 1 and appears relieved to be able to compete with the Italian team at the top of the rankings.
Mythical Formula 1 team, Ferrari had experienced a true fall from grace in 2020. Finishing sixth in the constructors’ championship with a mere 131 points (already at 157 points in five races in 2022), 2021 marked the beginning of a comeback for the Scuderia. With a car that was competing with McLaren, they managed to finish third in the constructors’ championship.
This year, after five Grand Prix races, the duel between Ferrari and Red Bull already appears to be the story of the season. A comeback from the Scuderia in the fight for the championship that is appreciated by many, including Christian Horner himself, despite being the direct opponent of the Reds.
« It’s great to fight against Ferrari, it’s good for Formula 1 to have a competitive Ferrari,” said Horner to CNN Sport. « Charles Leclerc is doing a great job, Carlos Sainz is also a top-class driver. We know that Mercedes will solve its problems. It’s great for Formula 1 to have another team in the battle.
Horner also talked about the beginning of the fight for the title between his driver Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. « It’s a great competition between this young generation that is emerging. Charles and Max have been fighting together since they were children. The battle between the two of them in each Grand Prix so far has been fantastic. »
In the face of the new regulations and the fierce battle against Mercedes last year, Horner is relieved to still see his team at the top of the timesheet. After putting so much effort into last year’s car and adapting to these new regulations, we chose to take this risk because we had a chance to win last year and you have to go for it.
« This put enormous pressure on the team during the second half of last season. […] Personally, I didn’t expect us to start the year as competitively as we did. Being on the front row of the first race, winning the second race, and winning and securing a one-two finish at Imola was an incredible start for us, and I congratulate the entire team for doing such a phenomenal job in such a short amount of time. »
