Christian Horner has made his Formula 1 title prediction, admitting that despite hoping for an easier ride, he expects a similar scenario to the one played out by Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton last campaign. 2021 saw arguably the most dramatic title race in F1 history, as Verstappen pipped Hamilton on the very final lap of the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi.
This time around, Verstappen’s biggest threat to a second successive world title looks to be Ferrari man Charles Leclerc, as he leads the way ahead of the Dutchman at the top of the drivers' standings in the early stages. Hamilton meanwhile, finds himself well off the pace, 68 points behind Leclerc in sixth.
Despite Hamilton’s struggles, Horner is tipping another hard-fought battle for the title, as his main man Verstappen chases back-to-back world championships.
He said: “Look, there is a long, long way to go and it is so tight with Ferrari. There has been some great racing. You can see there is a great respect between Charles and Max, they are enjoying racing each other, you can see that.
“I was rather hoping we weren’t set for another competitive year like last year but it looks like this one could well go all the way as well.” Red Bull and Verstappen kept the pressure on the leading Leclerc last time out, after clinching victory at the inaugural Miami Grand Prix.
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This weekend Verstappen and Leclerc will reignite their battle at the Spanish Grand Prix, and Horner has predicted that the Catalunya track will suit the Ferrari car. He commented: “It has been nip-and-tuck and Barcelona is a different challenge, high-speed corners.
“We know Ferrari is strong in that area. It is horses for courses and [Miami] suited us. We were able to make it work and thankfully got the result.” The Spanish Grand Prix will kick off this weekend, with the race taking place on Sunday 22 May at 2pm BST.
