P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Red Bull’s F1 rivals have stated it is the “benchmark” to beat this season, but Red Bull insists it is behind its rivals in the pecking order.
Red Bull’s technical director, Pierre Wache, stated that Ferrari, Mercedes, and McLaren are currently leading the Formula 1 hierarchy ahead of Red Bull for the upcoming season. Wache emphasized during the pre-season test in Bahrain that Red Bull is not considered the standard to beat, despite strong performances on the first day of testing. The RB22 is assessed to be behind Ferrari’s SF-26, Mercedes’ W17, and McLaren’s MCL40 based on early evaluations. Although Mercedes set the fastest times overall in the initial test, McLaren and Ferrari showed strength on specific days. Wache mentioned that it is challenging to accurately position Red Bull in the rankings due to varying factors like fuel levels and power output among teams. Despite a potential for errors in their analysis, the focus for Red Bull remains on enhancing their performance rather than comparing standings with other teams.
