P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Former Formula 1 race engineer Rob Smedley has told Motorsport Week that Red Bull may prove to be a strong threat to Mercedes ahead of the start of the new season.
Former Formula 1 race engineer Rob Smedley believes Red Bull could challenge Mercedes in the upcoming season, despite downplaying their chances due to their new powertrain project with Ford. Red Bull showed strong pace during pre-season testing in Barcelona and Bahrain, keeping pace with the formidable Mercedes team. Smedley also praised Ferrari’s innovations and predicted they would be competitive this season. McLaren has been struggling with long-run pace, while Smedley sees potential for midfield teams to challenge the top four. However, he cautioned that the evolving ruleset means the pecking order could change significantly throughout the season, making predictions difficult.
