Horner sees differences Ferrari and Mercedes: 'It's happening on track now'

Red Bull Racing has fallen from one battle into another. Team boss Christian Horner notes after the first five races that the battle with Ferrari is a lot milder than last year's battle with Mercedes.

Max Verstappen won the 2021 title, but Mercedes won the constructors' cup. It was a fierce battle between the two teams that took place both on and off the track. After five races, Red Bull Racing seems to be in contention for the title again, but this time against Ferrari. Horner sees some differences between his two rivals.

In a conversation with Motorsport.com Horner compares his fight with Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto with last year's fight against Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. According to the Red Bull Racing team boss, Binotto is a nice guy, to which he concludes that it is a different kind of fight. The insinuation that Wolff is not a nice man is not discussed further. However, Horner does say that Wolff can still get his team into the fight up front this season.

The biggest difference Horner sees between this year and last year is that the fight between Verstappen and Charles Leclerc is fought on the track. In contrast, the battle between Mercedes and Red Bull regularly took place off-track and in the media. Horner is still cautious about a conclusion about the fight between the reigning world champion and Leclerc. According to the team boss, this fight will inevitably get out of hand if the rest of the season consists of races just like the first five.