After 1 years, Formula 5 returns to China in Shanghai, and does so with a Sprint weekend, the first of the season. There are many unknowns that according to Christian Horner in China could bring Red Bull and Ferrari closer than ever this season. At the moment the comparison between the two teams sees Red Bull in the lead with 3 wins to 1. On each occasion we have seen double wins, a sign that the fight is actually between these two teams. The others belong to another category. At least for now.
Horner predicts a more heated fight with Ferrari
China is a question mark for everyone. We haven't raced there since 2019, an eternity if we also consider the regulation change in 2022 with the debut of ground effect single-seaters. What we can say after four races is that 2024 could hold some surprises for us unlike what happened in 2023. That Red Bull's dominance could be less overwhelming, this is because there is a very competitive Ferrari behind it. The first victory of the season arrived in Australia for the Italian team. There were also some small warning signs for Red Bull which had a double problem, with Verstappen forced to retire but also with Perez, far from the podium area. The SF-24, which will begin its development run in Imola, on paper it is the second most competitive single-seater on the grid, and There are many unknowns about the weekend in Shanghai. This could reopen the match between the two teams who have never had the opportunity to compete in a real fight.
Christian Horner, interviewed by the media, identified what could be the main challenges of the weekend in China, remembering that with the Sprint weekend the teams will only have one free practice session to run. However, if there is one positive thing in all this it is that we will be able to work on the car after the Sprint.
“Shanghai is a good circuit – he commented to the media – the first corner never ends, and the high-speed corners have always been demanding, especially for the left front tyre. There is also a sprint race, the first of the year, so it will be another another challenge. There are many points available, it will be interesting to see how it goes. I believe that the Ferrari she was certainly competitive in Australia, and in Japan we saw that her race pace was competitive. We expect that she will probably be our closest competitor in China too".
Source statements FormulaPassion
