“Maybe Haas suddenly comes out with a rocket” – Red Bull confident of being competitive in 2022 despite the sweeping new regulations

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is confident in his team's abilities in 2022. The Briton claims that while it is impossible to predict who will come out on top in the new season, it is unlikely that his team will drop back to midfield.

Fans are speculating that the team headquartered in Milton Keynes is due to face significant challenges in the upcoming season as they allegedly spent most of their time and effort securing the 2021 title. Ferrari and McLaren switched their focus to their 2022 cars right after last year's summer break, with Mercedes' Toto Wolff initially claiming the same for his team. It was, however, obvious that the German team continued to develop their constructors' trophy-winning W12 long after the summer break.

When asked if the 2021 title fight will affect their 2022 campaign, Christian Horner jokingly said:

“If Ferrari come out with the fastest car and crush us all in the first race, you can certainly say that we have suffered from the intense title battle. Or maybe Haas suddenly comes out with a rocket… But no joke: we have a phenomenal team at Red Bull and our people have worked very hard, but of course, we have no guarantee that we will be competitive again under the new regulations.”

Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko called the team's lack of preparation a "misconception" and clarified Alex Albon's comments which sparked the discussion.

---

Red Bull's Christian Horner calls it "foolish" to underestimate any team in 2022

Given the brand new regulation changes, Christian Horner thinks it would be a bad move to underestimate any of the teams on the grid based on their performance in 2021. The new regulatory changes are bringing in massive redesigns to the aerodynamics of the cars, supposedly allowing for closer racing. Moreover, changes are being made to the bodywork in addition to the 18-inch Pirelli tires. Teams such as Ferrari, McLaren, and Alpine are already looking to challenge those at the top due to these significant changes.

Horner thus feels that it would be prudent to head into the new season with an equal mindset, and not underestimate teams that have been slower in the past. He told RacingNews365:

“I think it’s probable that the big teams will be at the front. Which order they’ll be in is difficult to predict. It’s the same group of people that were designing last year’s car that designed this year’s car, so it’s how you deal with a problem, how you interpret regulations, and the creativity of the group that differentiates them. It will be interesting to see what our competitors [do], but I think it’d be foolish to underestimate any of the teams with such a big regulation change.”

Red Bull and Max Verstappen are confident in their ability to defend the Dutchman's title in 2022, but only time will tell how successful they will be.