"It is the new Mercedes!" - Ferrari's rise to the top hailed by former F1 world champion 

Ferrari are the new Mercedes, according to F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve The Canadian believes Charles Leclerc and the Maranello team more or less have the championship in control and Red Bull has a steep climb ahead.

Speaking to Formule 1 Netherlands, Villeneuve said:

“In Italy I am often asked ‘Is this the year, is it really going to happen?’ The tifosi find it hard to believe. You see them thinking ‘When will things go wrong?’ They are used to that after the Alonso and Vettel years. But Ferrari is very fast, actually it is the new Mercedes."

Many of the "Tifosi" find it hard to believe that this might be the year Ferrari win the championship, according to Villeneuve. The Canadian believes the team are the new Mercedes in the new era of the sport, after their competitive start to the 2022 season.

Speaking about Red Bull and their uphill battle, Villeneuve said:

“At Red Bull people are frustrated, there is no other way. The car is fast but difficult to drive. To get the last much-needed tenths in the battle against Ferrari, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have to pull out all the stops."

"Ferrari is marginally faster but apparently easier to drive and easier to tune. They will still be near the front with a lesser weekend. That is psychologically tough for Red Bull. They are used to chasing Mercedes but now they are the champions. That brings another pressure.”

The Canadian believes the Red Bull car is quick but difficult to drive, which makes it harder for their drivers to extract maximum performance out of their car. He feels the team were used to chasing Mercedes for the wins but the pressure is now on them to defend their title. In theory, the Milton Keynes' squad has defended three titles in the past from 2011 to 2013, so it should not be a difficult scenario for them to manage another one.

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Red Bull should be right behind Ferrari in the top 4, according to Villeneuve

The 1997 world champion believes Red Bull should be in the top four with Ferrari, but Mercedes are second due to their retirements in two races. While there are 20 races to go, Villeneuve suggests Charles Leclerc has the championship sorted and Red Bull have their work cut-out for the next few races.

Explaining the championship battle for Red Bull, Villeneuve said:

“They should have been top four with both drivers and second among the constructors but that is nowhere near the case.These are very expensive DNFs, also because Charles Leclerc continues to win. He now has the championship under control."

"Of course there are still 20 races to go and a lot of work still to be done. But he has his team-mate at a distance, the team more or less behind him and a gap to his main competitor Max Verstappen”

Red Bull are currently third in the Constructor’s title while Max Verstappen is sixth in the Driver’s championship. Retirements in Bahrain and Australia suggest a long recovery course for the Red Bull team over the next few races this season, if they wish to take the fight to Ferrari.