Formula 1

Red Bull sees Mercedes and Ferrari as threats in "challenging race" in England

Red Bull boss Christian Horner expects Mercedes and Ferrari to be strong at the next race at Silverstone and highlighted the difficulty of continuing the winning streak in F1

As F1 returns to Europe for the championship sequence after the Canadian GP, the next two races on the calendar raise concerns at Red Bull, according to boss Christian Horner. The Briton said he believes Mercedes will be fighting at the front in both England and France, and he also hopes for a show of strength from Ferrari. Regarding the RB18, Horner expects difficulties regarding the track layout.

"I think Mercedes will be strong at Silverstone, and I see no reason why they shouldn't be at Paul Ricard as well," Horner said. "I think Ferrari will be fast at Silverstone as well. It might be a more challenging circuit for us, just because of the layout design. It's amazing that we've managed a run of six wins, but Silverstone might be the most challenging so far," he commented.

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After another Verstappen victory, Horner expects difficulties in England (Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Red Bull is still overwhelming in 2022 after their last defeat, still in Australia. Since then, they have won six in a row: Imole, Miami, Spain, Monaco, Azerbaijan, and Canada - five by Max Verstappen and one by Sergio Pérez. It is the second longest winning streak in the team's history, surpassed only by Sebastian Vettel's nine-game winning streak in 2013, the year he won his fourth championship.

Although he obviously wants to keep the sequence of races in the first position, Horner showed little enthusiasm in seeking the record in the category, set by McLaren in 1988: 11 consecutive triumphs. Moreover, the Briton highlighted the difficulty race after race in a championship that has changed a lot since Ferrari's last triumph.

"I would love to keep winning, but every race it becomes more difficult," he opined. "When you think about the change in the championship, from how it was in Australia to where we are today, it shows how quickly things can change. I think Max [Verstappen] has hit a purple spot in his form [meaning the Dutchman is at the best stage of his life]. The car is also more the way he likes it," he finished.