If one is to deconstruct the drama and excitement that we got from the past season of F1, the findings will point towards two major influences, Red Bull and Mercedes. These two teams created a rivalry for the ages, be it the back and forth between Christian Horner and Toto Wolff, or the on-track battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.

But next year, with an incoming new car aimed towards closer racing, things could shake up dramatically.

Fans can now expect some new championship contenders because things are expected to start from zero in 2022. This is something Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner also agrees on.

Speaking about whether any particular team will have more advantage with the new car, Horner said, “We will see everything only when we return to action in a couple of months, with completely new cars. They will clearly be different, they will drive each other in different ways and we will find out who understood us more and who less.”

“Everything starts all over again.”

The Briton also mentioned the example of Ferrari to explain whether the intense battle of 2021 has affected their R&D for 2022.

“If Ferrari comes up with a faster car by demolishing their rivals in the first race, then it can be said that the fight for the title has probably compromised our work on 2022,” Horner said.

Toto Wolff agrees with Christian Horner about new (and old) contenders

It’s very rare for Toto Wolff and Christian Horner to agree on something. But as for the subject of new contenders next season, the Austrian said something on the same lines as his rival.

“It is possible that the teams that did not fight for the World Championship in 2021, so let’s say Ferrari, McLaren, Aston Martin and Alpine for example, will be able to come up with projects that have been studied in depth for longer than all the others,” Wolff said.

With fresh expectations building up, we won’t know how things will actually shape up before the lights go out in Bahrain.

Until then, it’s all speculation, assumptions, and expectations.

WATCH: Red Bull F1 Looks Back on a Poignant Title-Winning 2021 Campaign