Ferrari's Comeback: A Boost or Threat to Verstappen's Title?

Horner warns of Ferrari’s resurgence, but could their performance ironically boost Verstappen’s chances in the drivers’ championship?

Red Bull and McLaren F1 won’t be sitting “comfortably” in their current battles for the drivers’ and constructors’ titles.

A third contender, Ferrari, is surging, and the race pace of the dominant SF-24 in Austin could shake things up.

Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, believes Ferrari will once again pose a threat at the Mexican Grand Prix.

But could this actually be good news? A strong Ferrari means they could take points away from Lando Norris, which could help Max Verstappen in the drivers’ title race. As for the constructors’ title, given Sergio Perez’s current form, it’s hard to see Red Bull overtaking McLaren…

“Form changes day by day, circuit by circuit,” says Horner.

“Is it good news, as you suggest? That’s your analysis, but there are still five races to go, and we’ve introduced some updates. But yes, Ferrari is a player to consider, and they’re now threatening us for second place…”

“I mean, nothing is ever certain or comfortable. But it was important for us because it’s the first time we’ve outperformed Lando since Spa. So, it was crucial for us to get back ahead.”

“As for Ferrari, yes, they gained performance in the U.S. They looked very strong, particularly in the race.”

“Obviously, they may have sacrificed some qualifying pace to benefit in the race. I’m sure they’ll be competitive in Mexico.”

Red Bull introduced upgrades in Austin to address its balance issues, with Verstappen confirming they had a positive effect. Everything previously planned was “scrapped” and rethought following the lessons learned from Monza.

Horner also gave a positive assessment of these updates.

“I think it helped bring the balance closer to where we wanted it. The disconnect between the front and rear has been reduced, giving the RB20 better overall balance. From his first lap, Max was much more competitive.”

“He was much happier with the car as soon as we arrived in Austin. That’s encouraging for some of the upcoming races as well, as we’ll be learning from the data analysis.”

“For the first race of this triple-header, it’s all we could have hoped for after Singapore.”