BEATING MERCEDES WHY RED BULL IS NOW READY
“WE KNOW WHERE WE HAVE TO IMPROVE… WE KNOW WE HAVE TO BE THERE FROM THE START IF WE’RE TO FIGHT FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP”
Formula 1 has a golden opportunity to flip an old adage on its head this year. So much is staying the same that it could be the key to change. The same drivers, the same car-and-engine combinations, the same aerodynamic and engine rules. Yet hopes are higher than ever before that Mercedes’ vice-like grip on the drivers’ and constructors’ championships may finally be coming to an end.
For those hoping for a changing of the guard, Christian Horner’s Red Bull team will join Ferrari as the protagonists. “Unless somebody pulls a rabbit out of a hat, then I think we’re set for a really exciting year between Mercedes, Ferrari, ourselves,” he says. “It could be a real classic season.”
Do not roll your eyes just yet. Yes, you have read similar comments before. And yes, Mercedes has won the title every time. And yes, Lewis Hamilton clinched the 2019 crown with his joint-highest number of victories in a single season, heading Valtteri Bottas in a Mercedes 1-2 as their team became the first to win six consecutive title doubles.
On that evidence, it is understandable if you have doubts about 2020. But don’t just take Horner’s words for it. Red Bull’s star driver Max Verstappen feels the same. Along with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, the Dutch driver goes into 2020 with his shoulders creaking under the weight of expectation from every fan who wants to see something other than another Silver Arrows party by the end of the year.
Verstappen ended 2019 celebrating his best year in F1, and with his sights set firmly
