Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner made a bold new prediction about Mercedes driver George Russell after his big move to partner Lewis Hamilton.

Horner believes that Russell, who debuted for Williams in 2019 is a “standout talent” and will make it tough for teammate Hamilton. Hamilton, on the other hand, will be aiming to renew his quest for the elusive 8th World title.

The Briton, talking about Hamilton’s chances said, “Lewis is going to be massively motivated this season. But he’s going to have more competition internally because he’s got a hungry competitive young team-mate who is going to be snapping at his ankles.

“Life is not going to be getting easier for him, that’s for sure,” added Horner.

“George is going to be a big factor this year. He has been blisteringly quick in all the junior categories, he’s one of the standout talents and dealing with his drivers will give Toto a headache this year.”

Horner also believes that his adversary Toto Wolff will face a tough time handling both drivers throughout the 2022 season. Russell replaced Bottas, who moved to Alfa Romeo for 2022, after the Finn spent 5 years with the team. The youngster has driven for Mercedes before when he replaced Hamilton at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, due to COVID-19.

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Christian Horner faces a stern challenge in 2022

Despite winning the Drivers’ Championship title in dramatic fashion last year, Horner will be wary of the motivated Mercedes. The newly launched W13 has looked impressive throughout testing in Barcelona. The car could be one of the standouts of the season, which could make it harder for the Bulls.

The defending World Champion Max Verstappen will be looking to retain his crown in 2022. The Dutchman opted to switch from ’33’ to ‘1’, after winning the title in 2021. However, with new regulations, he may possibly face tougher challenges from other teams.

What are your predictions for the upcoming 2022 F1 season? Let us know in the comments below.

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