Former F1 driver Martin Brundle and Red Bull Racing’s team principal Christian Horner give their opinions on Mercedes in 2020.
While talking to Express Sport about Formula 1’s 2020 pecking order, Martin Brundle said Mercedes looks even stronger than last year.
“Mercedes look worryingly strong – stronger than last year,” Brundle said.
“I don’t know what the Italian word for sand-bagging is, but I hope that’s what Ferrari are doing.”
However the Briton sees Red Bull as a possible challenger.
“Red Bull look solid, very solid. A lot of continuity.
“The cars will just plug and play on the track. Relentless speed, reliability. The pack will close up.
“Two exciting [new] races. New races with obviously Zandvoort and Vietnam – hopefully we go to these places. I just think the scene is set.
“The cars will be the fastest ever and I’m expecting some pretty feisty racing. The midfield looks manic.
“But I can’t [see past Mercedes]… having interviewed Lewis [Hamilton] and Toto [Wolff] and Valtteri [Bottas], they are so calm and confident and relaxed.”
The sentiment is echoed by Red Bull’s team principal Christian Horner, who hopes to challenge Mercedes’ dominance in part due to F1 rules remaining stable in 2020.
“I think the gap is closed,” Horner told Crash.net.
“You get that with continuous regulation and when you have stability, the designs come closer together. I think it is inevitable that the grid will come closer together, which is healthy for Formula 1.
“The most important thing for us is that we narrow the gap with Mercedes.
“That is our goal as they are the absolute benchmark,” concluded Horner.