The shift in F1 dynamics as the new ground-effect era began left many eyes on Mercedes and Ferrari, anticipated to close the gap on Red Bull’s championship dominance.

In an exclusive interview with Autosport at the Abu Dhabi season finale, Red Bull’s Christian Horner revealed surprise at Mercedes and Ferrari’s divergence from Red Bull’s downwash sidepod concept as the 2023 campaign commenced. Follow your favourite F1 team with attractive F1 betting odds from Nextbet. 

Horner’s reaction to Mercedes’ pivot away from their ‘zeropod’ sidepods was laced with subtle skepticism, remarking, “Well, Toto tends to be a little dramatic anyway.”

Expressing astonishment, Horner highlighted, “We were very surprised to see Mercedes sticking with the concepts that had clearly failed the previous year.”

The Aston Martin and McLaren’s proximity in concept to Red Bull’s design during pre-season drew attention, aligning them closer to Red Bull’s innovation.

The turning point for Red Bull’s confidence emerged when Max Verstappen triumphed in Melbourne. Horner emphasized this, citing, “Certainly, coming out of Bahrain, we felt like, ‘we’ve got a really good package here’.”

Reflecting on the significance of the Australian race where they were defeated in 2022, Horner noted, “To do the reverse to all its rivals one year later… provided his team with the confirmation it had been seeking about its overall chances for the year ahead.”

Horner elaborated on the team’s cautious approach, stating, “It’s only when you’ve had a sample of two or three races that suddenly you’re thinking, ‘ok, no, this is really together’. Nobody was coming out of Bahrain getting too carried away.”

Red Bull’s realization of their formidable position dawned gradually, affirming their standing in the championship, signaling a compelling narrative in the ongoing F1 season. Get the latest updates from F1 only on Nextbet Sports.