Ferrari now Formula 1's benchmark engine - Red Bull boss Horner
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner believes Ferrari's 2018 Formula 1 engine is now the best on the grid
Mercedes has set the standard for F1's V6 hybrid engine manufacturers since 2014, but Lewis Hamilton suggested earlier this season that Ferrari had eliminated the deficit with winter updates.
Ferrari introduced its first in-season engine update for June's Canadian Grand Prix, while Mercedes delayed its own upgrade until the French GP after discovering reliability problems on its dyno.
Hamilton and the Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen qualified within a tenth of each other at the recent British Grand Prix, while Max Verstappen was seven tenths off the pace in the best Red Bull-Renault on what Horner feels is one of the most engine-sensitive circuits on the calendar under the current aerodynamic regulations, which have turned previously challenging corners such as Copse into flat-out blasts.
But Horner said the improved pace of Ferrari customer teams Haas and Sauber, which qualified best of the midfield runners at Silverstone, suggested Ferrari has now pulled ahead of Mercedes in the engine stakes.
"I think it's setting the benchmark now," said Horner, when asked by Autosport whether he thought the Ferrari engine was now the best in F1.
"You can see with Haas and Sauber as well having made good gains."
After struggling to fight Raikkonen's Ferrari during the race at Silverstone, Verstappen described the power deficit of the Renault engine as "tragic" and "like driving in a different series".
He reckons Renault is about 70-80bhp down on the top manufacturers, equating to roughly a second per lap of Silverstone.
Red Bull will switch to Honda engines for 2019, but Toro Rosso driver Pierre Gasly feels the Japanese manufacturer is also about a second behind the leading opposition.
Asked if swapping one deficit for a roughly equitable one was a concern for his team, Horner said Honda's plan for future development would be key.
"You can see the situation between the engines is very similar at the moment, and it's all about the potential development," Horner said.
"This weekend has been a very tough weekend for Renault, and it just very clearly defines where the level is at - you can't hide behind the statistics of what we've seen.
"There is a gap to fill. In Honda, we have a lot of belief in what they have coming in the pipeline."
Previous article
Mercedes doing 'a lot of work' to improve F1 race starts
Next article
Haas must stop throwing away points, says team boss Gunther Steiner
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Teams | Ferrari , Red Bull Racing |
| Author | Ben Anderson |
Albert Park Circuit Modifications Project
Mercedes-AMG F1 Team: Bahrain GP Race Debrief
The 'new' F1 drivers who need to improve at Imola
After a pandemic-hit winter of seat-swapping, F1 kicked off its season with several new faces in town, other drivers adapting to new environments, and one making a much-anticipated comeback. BEN ANDERSON looks at who made the most of their opportunity and who needs to try harder…
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says NIGEL ROEBUCK
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of car-racing titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Are we at peak F1 right now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
How crucial marginal calls will decide the Red Bull vs Mercedes battle in F1 2021
The longer Red Bull can maintain a performance edge over Mercedes, the better the odds will be in the team’s favour against the defending world champions. But as the Bahrain Grand Prix showed, many more factors will be critical in the outcome of the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship
How Williams’ new structure adheres to a growing F1 trend
Williams held out against the tide for many years but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, the age of the owner-manager is long gone
When a journeyman driver's F1 career lasted just 800m
Nikita Mazepin’s Formula 1 debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix lasted mere corners before he wiped himself out in a shunt, but his financial backing affords him a full season. Back in 1993 though, Marco Apicella was an F1 driver for just 800m before a first corner fracas ended his career. Here’s the story of his very short time at motorsport’s pinnacle
The nightmare timing that now hinders Mercedes
Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton took victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix despite, for a change, not having the quickest car. But any hopes of developing its W12 to surpass Red Bull's RB16B in terms of outright speed could not have come at a worse time.
