Horner on Silverstone: 'That will be very encouraging'

Christian Horner looks ahead to this weekend's British Grand Prix and hopes to get close to Mercedes. He is also curious about the new format that Formula 1 will use with the sprint qualification on Saturday.

Dominance of Mercedes at Silverstone

In recent years Silverstone has been a circuit where Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton, in particular, have been dominant. Of the last eight Grands Prix at the circuit, Hamilton won no less than six. The very last one was not the best. At the last Grand Prix, Max Verstappen took the trophy for the first prize.

Red Bull Racing team boss Horner also knows that Silverstone is normally a track for Mercedes. "Mercedes have been incredibly dominant at Silverstone and if we can get close to them and challenge them for the win, that will be tremendously encouraging, especially with the upgrades they are due to bring," said Horner in his column on RedBull.com.

To take or no risks on Saturday?

At Silverstone Formula 1 tries something new: sprint qualifications. A 100km race that determines the grid for Sunday's Grand Prix. "It is the first of the Sprint Race events, so it puts a lot more pressure on Friday. The engineers and drivers have one session to set up the car and then you are straight into qualifying," explained Horner.

"You also have to balance the risk versus reward in the Sprint Race as the last thing you want is a DNF or damage for Sunday," says Horner. The Briton says it will probably be a pleasant addition for the public to have a race on Saturday as well.