Formula 1 teams purposely kept down the genuine capability of their cars amid testing, as indicated by Red Bull team essential Christian Horner as he played down his team’s serene execution. Ferrari inspired in Barcelona as they completed winter testing quickest. Pre-season top picks Mercedes oversaw 1096 laps; Red Bull finished 684.
“There is a lot of sandbagging in testing. Nobody really knows what specification each other’s cars are running in,” he told the news.
“We’ve never won a testing world championship but we are confident we have had a good pre-season.”
The main race of the 2017 battle gets going in Australia on 26 March. Red Bull won two races last season as they completed second to a predominant Mercedes in the constructors’ title. While Horner recognizes Mercedes will by and by be the team to beat, he is cheerful Red Bull can move them all the more regularly this year.
“Mercedes are still very much the favourite,” he said.
“Ferrari had a positive pre-season, they look like they have a good car but we are reasonably confident that we have the basis of a good car.
“It will now be all about development throughout the season and we are hopeful we can close the gap to Mercedes.”
It was a fairly disputable result as Ricciardo had been driving the race for 31 laps however a terrible procedure call ultimately cost the Australian while the right one for Verstappen prepared for the youthful Dutchman to take triumph.
Horner demands nobody driver will be supported over alternate this season, yet focused on that that they should regard each other on the circuit.
“The rules we have are very clear,” he added.
“Both drivers have the same opportunity but we expect them to respect each other on the circuit.
“They must give each other space and respect when they are racing which, to date, they have been very, very good at.”
