“Lucky thing for F1,” Red Bull claim intense battle with Ferrari good for the sport
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Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
The 2022 F1 season is up and running, as we have witnessed two close and intensely fought races in Bahrain and Jeddah. All 10 teams are getting used to the new regulations, and will be hopeful of making several upgrades in the car as the year rolls on. However, two teams that seemed to have cracked the mystery in relation to the new regulations are Ferrari and Red Bull.
All the hype around Ferrari’s 2022 F1 car development has become a reality, as the Italian side have secured consecutive double podium finishes. Charles Leclerc reigned supreme in Bahrain, and is currently leading the championship, ahead of his teammate, Carlos Sainz. Red Bull came back storming into the championship, as Max Verstappen outsmarted Charles Leclerc to claim vital 25 points in Jeddah.
Red Bull chief technical officer, Adrian Newey believes that F1 is lucky to witness a Red Bull-Ferrari battle up top. With Mercedes being a shadow of itself in the opening part of the season, only Red Bull and Ferrari seem to be two cars which can compete for consistent podium finishes.
“I think at the moment, the lucky thing for F1 is that we have got two teams, Ferrari and ourselves, who over the first couple of races have had very similar performance. That is what is giving the good racing, obviously,” said Newey, as quoted by GP Fans.
I think everything has gone in the right direction: Adrian Newey on the new regulations
Adrian Newey further opined that the 2022 F1 regulations are a positive development, as far as the drivers as concerned. He believes that it has become easier for drivers to chase cars in front of them, although, Max Verstappen complained about being off the pace in Jeddah.
“In terms of the closeness of the racing, generally the drivers do think it is a bit easier to follow although Max was saying, as you probably heard on the radio, that he was finding he could get to about two seconds on the first stint and then couldn’t get any closer,” Newey added.
Adrian Newey stated that the heavier cars make it difficult for drivers, nevertheless, it has made wheel-to-wheel racing as exciting as it could get in the first two races of the season. Newey expressed caution in regards to the car development in 2022, as teams will have to figure a way to maximize the potential of the car, given the fact that there are tight cost caps.
“Obviously, this year is unusual compared to previous years because of the cost cap and then we have not only got to try to develop but develop within a tight budget and that presents its own difficulties and challenges,” he added.
We are still into the early days of the season, as there are over 20 races still remaining on the calendar. Fans can expect Mercedes to come into the picture once again, as the German team starts reducing the weight of its car, which will in turn help them gain a couple of seconds.
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