Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes Ferrari are a challenger for this year's Formula One drivers' and constructors' titles, despite Max Verstappen's victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Following his DNF in the season opener in Bahrain, Verstappen bounced back to claim the 25 points in a tightly contested race.
With Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz on the podium in both races, however, Ferrari have opened up an early 40-point lead in the constructors' championship. Leclerc has also added to his respective first and second-placed finishes with two bonus points from fastest laps.
According to Horner, it is a sign of their legitimacy and strength this season.
"Ferrari have got a great car, they've got great drivers," he told Sky Sports. "It was a really tough battle. If that's what we're set for the rest of the season... from what we've seen in the first two races, it's been epic.
"They're all competitive teams. Ferrari are a big team, they've been a sleeping giant for a couple of years. They've got great strength in depth. It was just a great motor race. We enjoyed it, it was good hard racing between the drivers, and let's see what happens in Australia."
In the second consecutive race this season, Verstappen and Leclerc were locked in a thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle, with the defending champion seeing off the Ferrari challenge in Jeddah this time.
Horner praised the reigning world champion's race management, with Verstappen well placed to hold off Leclerc's late charge, while also saving some words for fourth-placed pole-sitter Sergio Perez.
"It was a very patient race from Max," Horner said. "He looked after the tyres for the end of the race there, and then after the last safety car, he really went for it.
"[Sergio] has driven brilliantly all weekend. He got that pole, his race pace was great, and he's just got unlucky with track position with the safety car. We've seen that happen sometimes."
The F1 season resumes in April with the Australian GP in Melbourne.
Horner backs Verstappen in 'pantomime' spat with Russell
Red Bull chief Christian Horner backed Max Verstappen's denial of George Russell's allegations against the four-time world champion before the Qatar Grand Prix last week.
Russell escalated his war of words with Verstappen on Thursday ahead of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, calling the Dutchman a "bully" following a stewards meeting.
Verstappen claimed that Russell's conduct during a stewards' hearing in Qatar, which saw the Dutchman given a grid penalty, made him "lose all respect" for the Mercedes driver.
The British driver also accused the four-time world champion of threatening to put him “on your f*****g head in the wall”, a claim Verstappen told Dutch media was not true.
Verstappen stood by his stance that he found Russell’s attempts to get him a penalty in Qatar unacceptable, and Horner gave his view on the situation on Friday.
"Max does nothing but tell the truth, so I believe 100 per cent what he said to be accurate," Horner said. "Of course, there were other people in those steward rooms as well.
"They also came back and reported that they were quite surprised at the approach that was taken (by Russell)."
"The thing with Max… He tells you straight, tells you as it is. He never lies, always tells you the truth."
"A lot's been made of it. It's pantomime season," Horner added.
"We are getting ready for Christmas, so there's maybe an element of end of term blues there, but I don't think it will have any effect on the grand prix itself."
The Red Bull boss also responded to Toto Wolff, after he slammed Horner's leadership, with the Austrian calling him a "yapping little terrier".
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Horner was presented with an opportunity to bite back at those remarks.
"I'm not going to rise to the bait of that. Everybody manages their teams in different ways. We've won 122 races, 14 world championships - I think we're doing alright," he said.
"To be called a terrier, is that such a bad thing? They are not afraid of having a go at the bigger dogs. I would rather be a terrier than a wolf."
Ferrari's title hopes take a hit as Leclerc handed grid penalty
Charles Leclerc has been hit with a 10-place grid penalty for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, dealing a significant blow to Ferrari's title hopes.
Ferrari are 21 points behind McLaren in the Constructors' Championship ahead of the final race of the 2024 Formula One season.
With 44 points on offer, the Italian team realistically required high finishes from both Leclerc and his team-mate Carlos Sainz, who will be racing for Ferrari for the final time ahead of Lewis Hamilton's arrival next year.
Ferrari have had to fit a new battery pack to Leclerc's car, meaning they have gone above their permitted allowance for the campaign.
Leclerc had to wait for almost 30 minutes in the pits during Friday's first practice session, as his team dealt with the battery issue. He eventually went out to drive alongside his brother, Arthur.
It means Leclerc, who is just eight points behind second-place Lando Norris in the driver standings, must serve up a brilliant qualifying session on Saturday if he is to give himself, and his team, a firm chance of success in Sunday's race.
Norris' team McLaren are in pole position to take their first Constructors' title since 1998.
Mercedes boss Wolff slams Horner amid Verstappen-Russell row
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff hit out at Red Bull counterpart Christian Horner amid the ongoing row between four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen and George Russell.
The tension between the pair, which began during qualifying at last weekend's Qatar Grand Prix, escalated quickly after both drivers made further comments ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Reacting to the Dutch driver's comments that he had "lost all respect" for Russell for his role in demoting him from pole position, the Mercedes driver said Verstappen had threatened to crash into him on purpose.
And Mercedes boss Wolff also weighed in on the situation by criticising Horner, who called Russell "hysterical" in Qatar, for falling short of his role.
"I think as a team principal, it's important to be a sparring partner for your drivers, and that means explaining that things can be more nuanced," Wolff said.
"Statements that are absolutistic, thinking that everything is 100% right or 100% wrong, is just something you need to explain. Things are more nuanced, depending on your perception and your perspective.
"You need to allow for something to be 51-49, you need to allow it to be 70-30 - so there is always another side.
"Maybe, when you look at it that way, and you explain it to your drivers and your team, you come to the conclusion that there is truth on both sides. If you don't do that, you're falling short of your role."
Verstappen had qualified fastest in Qatar, but was later demoted to a second-placed start after a rare grid penalty for driving unnecessarily slowly and impeding Russell in qualifying, after both drivers had a hearing with the stewards.
"Why does he feel entitled to comment about my driver?" Wolff added. "How does that come? That even thinking about it, I just had 90 seconds to think about it. Yapping little terrier. Always something to say.
"There is a thing between drivers, and this is George and Max, and I don't want to get involved in that. But if the other team principal calls George 'hysterical', this is where he crosses a line for me.
"His forte, for sure, is not intellectual psychoanalysis, but that's quite a word. How dare you comment on the state of mind of my driver?!"
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