Horner names Alonso as biggest rival to Red Bull

[burak karakutuk]

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner expects Fernando Alonso to continue where he left off in 2010 as the main rival to his team.

Speaking to the BBC he said: “I think Alonso, at the moment, he looks pretty fired up, his testing has looked impressive so far. So I think he’s going to pose a threat.

“But the British guys I’m sure are going to be right up there as well.”

Horner said the team have “a lot to live up to” after winning both titles last year.

He said: “It’s going to be a fascinating season, you’ll have all the usual protagonists – Jenson and Lewis, Fernando Alonso’s looked very strong in pre-season testing.

“And obviously our drivers Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel have both been looking pretty respectable as well.”

“So I think Formula 1 is set for another really exciting season.”

He said the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix didn’t present much in the way of an organisational problem: “Ironically, we were ready to go on time this year, which is quite unusual for us!

“But a two-week delay is welcome for some teams. Logistically there’s a slight challenge to it but nothing to tricky.”

He added that Vettel and Webber had both completed extensive fitness programmes during the winter to prepare for the new season:

“Both our drivers, when they’re not in the car, will be doing approximately four hours per day training. Sebastian was in Finland for the whole of January working on his fitness programme, Mark went off to the Canary Islands and was training quite hard there.

“So they’ve both got programmes, they’re athletes, they’ve got to be in tip-top condition, and now is the time to really work on that condition before heading off for the first Grand Prix.”

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2011/02/2...ival-red-bull/

[Alonsomaniac]

Not only is Fernando their biggest rival, he is going to beat them this year!!!!!

[Tony]

LOL Webber in the Canary Islands during winter haha, sure lots of hard training there lolololol....

[Suzie]

LOL Webber in the Canary Islands during winter haha, sure lots of hard training there lolololol....

Better there than mountain biking

[RockyRaccoon]

It's gonna be a good year

[Greig]

If Alonso and Massa have a car equal to them then we will easily beat them

[Katu]

LOL Webber in the Canary Islands during winter haha, sure lots of hard training there lolololol....

you cannot blame him, if you could chose between Finland and Canary Islands, which would you preffer then...

[RockyRaccoon]

If Alonso and Massa have a car equal to them then we will easily beat them

[Tifoso]

Not only is Fernando their biggest rival, he is going to beat them this year!!!!!

Yup

And, more importantly, we take the WCC, too

[crewskas]

+







March 1st...

[ferrari4life]

I kinda liked when we were the underdog..all this positive pressure on Ferari is got me nervous..

...but the glass is half empty

[RockyRaccoon]

Very subjectively, I'd say you've got Ferrari and then Red Bull at the front at least four tenths faster than anyone else, then I think you've got a pack which is Renault, Toro Rosso, Williams and even Sauber, then another three or four tenths back to Mercedes and McLaren, then another step back to the new teams. That's definitely what the picture was in Barcelona. - Sam Michael

[watto2]

Very subjectively, I'd say you've got Ferrari and then Red Bull at the front at least four tenths faster than anyone else, then I think you've got a pack which is Renault, Toro Rosso, Williams and even Sauber, then another three or four tenths back to Mercedes and McLaren, then another step back to the new teams. That's definitely what the picture was in Barcelona. - Sam Michael

Can't see Merc & McLaren wearing that for long!!

[Rob]

dont ever count Mcscum out for long. Dont like them, but once they get that skip up and running it will be there with us again, im sure.

Over the race pace, we will have, again, the race pace over RBR. But testing we cannt tell for sure, as RBR fuel loads and tyres etc etc

By looks of it, it going to be ANOTHER!! nail bitting and hair pulling out seaon (aint got much hair lwft anyway ) Its going to close. We need good strong start to give Fernando and Felipe best chance of getting ahead.

[aroutis]

I kinda liked when we were the underdog..all this positive pressure on Ferari is got me nervous..

...but the glass is half empty

Ferrari is never the underdog. We are the legend of F1.

[Meiga]

Ferrari is never the underdog. We are the legend of F1.

And modest. Very modest.



(Not that I disagree with you, btw)

[Greig]

Ferrari is never the underdog. We are F1.

[Tifoso]

Ferrari is never the underdog. We are F1.

[ferrari4life]

Ferrari is never the underdog. We are the legend of F1.

The legend usually refers to something in the past

[Tifosi]

If Alonso and Massa have a car equal to them then we will easily beat them

Yeah, and the great thing is that they know that too. Unless they have the kind of (1 sec?) luxury they had over us last season they know that they are going to be under serious pressure from day 1.

Should be a great battle of wits and we have no reason to believe we can't beat them and beat them well.

[scuderiafan]

oh dear. watch what you say. angry macca fans will want an fia inquiry fresh from this new evidence on favouritism.

[siberianlady]

Well from what we observed during the last Barca test was that quite clearly Red Bull and Ferrari are up front. Then the pack of the rest then the new teams.....very difficult to say exactly what order but one thing was evident.......Red Bull are fast......but we, the red team are phenomenal in the corners........the car is glued to the track in the corners even though the bulls may have more straight line top speed........
And- both teams did their glory laps driving through the pitlane all weekend so they were NOT timed..........guess they are both sandbagging or something. And yes we know because we were there 9-5 all four days!

[scuderiafan]

Well from what we observed during the last Barca test was that quite clearly Red Bull and Ferrari are up front. Then the pack of the rest then the new teams.....very difficult to say exactly what order but one thing was evident.......Red Bull are fast......but we, the red team are phenomenal in the corners........the car is glued to the track in the corners even though the bulls may have more straight line top speed........
And- both teams did their glory laps driving through the pitlane all weekend so they were NOT timed..........guess they are both sandbagging or something. And yes we know because we were there 9-5 all four days!

thanks for that. but I am a bit worried about the top speed. the bulls were complaining about that last year, and I thought our engine was really good. surely we have more power than that Renault it infiniti engine

[dfunk257]

Funny that Horner does not mention Felipe at all. Poor Felipe!

[Corey]

That's kind of the problem between Felipe and Ferrari. Massa is pretty much part of the Ferrari family after that many years with them. But he is still clearly not as quick as Ferlonso. So I guess Ferrari doesn't really know what to do now.

[Suzie]

Funny that Horner does not mention Felipe at all. Poor Felipe!

I'm sure Felipe could care less

[Anni]

That's kind of the problem between Felipe and Ferrari. Massa is pretty much part of the Ferrari family after that many years with them. But he is still clearly not as quick as Ferlonso. So I guess Ferrari doesn't really know what to do now.

No team can afford to keep a driver just because he is part of the family and such a nice guy. If they were convinced he could not challenge Fernando and have a better season than last year he would not drive the car anymore, or he would be the nr.2. the team announced there will be equal treatment for both drivers this means they have still full confidence in Felipe, they wouldn´t do this out of mercy, no team can afford to be so generous.
So I don´t see why Ferrari should not know what to do now. There is no graciousness in F1. Ferrari knows you should never write off Felipe, he has shown this often enough in the past.

[sagi58]

Personally, I think Horner's right about Alonso! Much as he is not "my" favourite driver, he has a hunger that is not as evident in Massa!
As for announcing there will be equal treatment for both drivers, what else can Ferrari do? After that fiasco at Hockenheim, last year, and
in spite of team orders being allowed, they can't very well come out and say they're putting all their eggs in Alonso's cockpit, now can they?
OK, they've signed Massa through the 2012 season, but contracts are made to be broken... ask Kimi!!

p.s. I'm a huge Kimi fan and it still bothers me to no end that Ferrari chose to keep Massa instead!!

[Anni]

Personally, I think Horner's right about Alonso! Much as he is not "my" favourite driver, he has a hunger that is not as evident in Massa!
As for announcing there will be equal treatment for both drivers, what else can Ferrari do? After that fiasco at Hockenheim, last year, and
in spite of team orders being allowed, they can't very well come out and say they're putting all their eggs in Alonso's cockpit, now can they?
OK, they've signed Massa through the 2012 season, but contracts are made to be broken... ask Kimi!!

p.s. I'm a huge Kimi fan and it still bothers me to no end that Ferrari chose to keep Massa instead!!

Many people say as you do this equal treatment announcment is just a farce but I don´t see why Ferrari should do otherwise. If Felipe is still not strong enough to challenge Fernando it will show in the first races and Ferrari can still react, they won´t loose much, but if they wouldn´t give Felipe equal treatment and he would turn out to as good as Fernando, or maybe even better this year, they may soon realise they have made a big mistake. Why take such a risk?

[sagi58]

Many people say as you do this equal treatment announcment is just a farce but I don´t see why Ferrari should do otherwise. If Felipe is still not strong enough to challenge Fernando it will show in the first races and Ferrari can still react, they won´t loose much, but if they wouldn´t give Felipe equal treatment and he would turn out to as good as Fernando, or maybe even better this year, they may soon realise they have made a big mistake. Why take such a risk?

Anni, I'm sure Ferrari will treat them equally, initially! They don't have a choice,
considering both Massa and Smedley have shown they will be public, otherwise!!
But, I don't believe Ferrari can afford to do so for very long, if Massa can't prove
he's still got what it takes. Also, I think Massa will be under more pressure than
Alonso, this year. Hopefully, he will be able to keep up, let alone fly away!!