Red Bull team principal Christian Horner expects Formula One giants Ferrari to be challenging at the top of the field again in 2022.
Alongside Mercedes, both Ferrari and Red Bull had been considered as front-running teams in the turbo-hybrid era until 2019, but since 2020 season unknown power unit issues and uncompetitive chassis contributed to a plunge into the lower midfield order for Ferrari .
Now though, the Scuderia are rebuilding and already 2021 has been a marked improvement with two pole positions and three podium finishes putting them in a battle with McLaren for P3 in the Constructors’ Championship.
The next stage for Ferrari is to rejoin Mercedes and Red Bull in the hunt for consistent wins – something that Horner expects the Italian outfit to achieve in 2022.
“It’s a big team with two very good drivers [Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz] and I expect them to be a contender from next year,” Horner told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Their performance has improved, the engine too and they have a new power unit coming. They will be back.”
Of course, the order for 2022 is unknown, with teams working under a budget cap to develop the redesigned cars for next season. Horner thinks there is no room for mistakes in the new season, as undoing them would be extremely challenging.
“You start from a blank sheet of paper, some might interpret the rules better than others. It will be fascinating to watch the first part of next season,” he said.
“With the budget cap, if you take the wrong direction it is very difficult to recover. We mustn’t make mistakes.”
Bigger rule changes always bring new front runners in F1
The new rules for 2022 are the first major change in Formula 1’s model for the future and the next stage is the power units, with new versions set to arrive in 2025 or 2026.
Porsche and Audi are rumored to be involved in the talks for potential F1 comeback, and Horner said the engines must help ensure Formula 1 remains a spectacle to keep interest in the series.
Horner pointed to Formula E’s struggles as proof that Formula 1 needs to “maintain a clear purpose”.
“It’s good that other big companies are interested in entering F1. It means this category is still attractive,” said Horner. “Whereas in Formula E we see the opposite phenomenon, because many are leaving.
“Whatever engine we have in 2025/2026 has to sound good and entertain because F1 is about spectacle. Electric racing has not broken through. Grand prix, on the contrary, must maintain a clear purpose.”
