Coming into the Austrian GP weekend, Mercedes was touted to be Red Bull’s biggest competitor. But that did not seem to be the case on Friday as Max Verstappen got yet another pole. And all that Lewis Hamilton could manage was a P5. And things got more out of hand on the day of the Sprint race, with Hamilton getting knocked out in SQ1. After such a mess, the Briton said he has put his hopes of competing with Verstappen and Red Bull to rest while setting his eyes on P2.

Despite starting the Sprint Race in P18, Hamilton gained 8 places in 24 laps to finish in P10. While the rest of the grid battled it out for positions, Verstappen finished the race 21 seconds ahead of P2. If there were a few more laps, the Dutchman would have lapped cars in the Sprint race. Acknowledging Red Bull’s might, Hamilton has settled for taking on Ferrari.

This weekend, Ferrari is the 2nd fastest car on the grid. Their drivers, Charles Leclerc, and Carlos Sainz, start the race in P2 and P3, respectively. Though Ferrari might be a bit quicker on the Austrian track, the Briton feels it is game on for P2. Hamilton said, “I’m around the Ferraris, which are quicker and the Red Bull, which is in his own league. If I can hold on to the Ferraris that’ll be great, but we’ll see.”

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To keep Red Bull’s dominance in check, Hamilton had suggested that they should only be allowed to work in next year’s car after a certain date. Christian Horner was amused at this suggestion of his and had a funny take on the subject.

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner Brushes Aside Lewis Hamilton’s Suggestions to the FIA

There was an era when Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton dominated the grid for 7 straight years. Red Bull was the number 2 team then and Christian Horner used to be the one finding Mercedes’ faults to capitalize on. Now, the situation has taken a 180-degree turn. It is Red Bull and Max Verstappen who are on a run. And to dampen their progress, Hamilton suggested to the FIA that no teams should be allowed to work on next year’s car before a certain date.

When asked about his view on this matter in the Team Principals’ press conference, Horner said, “I think it would be an incredibly hard thing to police. How on earth could you say ‘Right, August 1, go!’ How do you prevent people thinking about or working on next year’s cars?”

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Red Bull v/s Mercedes has been the biggest rivalry in F1 in the last 10 years. And Ferrari has been an occasional recurring guest interrupting their rivalry. Who do you think will come out on top at the Red Bull Ring?