Formula One News #Update
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 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 Motorsport.com 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.”