Despite Mercedes’ resurgence, Red Bull boss ditches them for rivals as their biggest threat this F1 season

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner mentioned that currently, he does not consider Mercedes to be the biggest threat for the 2023 season.

The Austrian team have been unstoppable this season and have won every single race and has missed out on just one pole position in eight races thus far. Although they have cruised home to victories by some margins, it has been Aston Martin and not Mercedes who have often finished behind them.

In his interview with DAZN with Pedro de la Rosa, Horner said:

“We have a lot less wind-tunnel time than you guys [Aston Martin]. “So we’re having to be very selective about how we use that time, and also thinking about next year as well – so it’s about finding that balance.”

He added:

“When you look at all that experience, you can see what Fernando’s brought to Aston Martin – which is still a young team. There are lots of new guys there; they took a few guys from us. For us, I think the team that we’re most keeping an eye on for the future is the Aston team – because you can see they have strong energy.”

Red Bull team boss peaks on Mercedes' newfound resurgence

It was a double podium finish for Mercedes in Barcelona behind Max Verstappen as they surpassed their rivals Aston Martin and Ferrari in the race.

As per F1.com, the Red Bull team boss said:

“They were still [24] seconds behind at the end of the race...They made a good step. I think that we’ve got some stuff in the pipeline… They’ve had a big upgrade, we’ve got some bits coming later into the season. But look, for sure, a big step, they’re a quality team, and for sure they’re going to be putting us under pressure in the second half of the year."

He added:

"Well, the form’s moving around. You look at Lando [Norris’] lap [for third in qualifying], the Mercedes looked strong in the race, the Ferraris didn’t have the pace that we thought they might. The form behind us does seem to be moving around quite a lot at the moment, so it’s difficult to predict who’s going to be where at which event.”

It will be fascinating to if anyone possesses a threat to Red Bull in the remaining races of the 2023 season and who will pounce on their slipups in the 2023 season.