Horner unconvinced Mercedes has halted W12 development

Red Bull's Christian Horner is skeptical of Mercedes' claim that it has ceased the development of its 2021 car as it switches its resources to next season's all-important contender.

Red Bull and Mercedes are locked in a fierce title battle, as are Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. The Milton Keynes-based outfit leads its arch-rival after eight rounds and comprehensively trounced the latter in Sunday's Styrian Grand Prix won by Verstappen.

Red Bull's RB16B now holds a clear edge over Mercedes' W12, and its advantage may only increase as the season unfolds as the former implements more updates while the latter freezes its car's development.

After his defeat in the Styrian Grand Prix, Hamilton urged Mercedes to bring more upgrades to its W12. But team boss Toto Wolff made clear the time had come for his crews to switch their focus to 2022, regardless of this year's title fight.

"We knew the time would come when it became tougher for us and it's here right now," Wolff acknowledged.

"We have stopped developing for this year because we believe that next year is so important to get it right, and they [Red Bull] keep adding bits.

"Red Bull are still developing strongly, while our focus is now primarily on 2022."

However, Horner is doubtful that of Wolff's claim.

"What Mercedes do is very much their business, so we're just focused on ourselves," explained the Red Bull team boss.

"We know that Toto likes to throw the light somewhere else, so I can't believe that they'll go through the rest of this year without putting a single component on the car.

"But, as I say, what we can do is focus on our own job. Of course, it is a balancing act between this year and next year, but if that means we've all got to work a bit harder than the other teams, we are fully up for it."

• Read also: Mercedes suggests 'wacky setup' hit race pace in Styria

Horner admitted that Red Bull's strong entry into the 2021 season is providing it with a bit more space to decide when it will channel its resources towards 2022.

"For the first time in quite a while we've come out the blocks this year with a competitive car and we've managed to optimise that and tune it," he said.

"But you're at the top of the curve with these cars, you're into marginal gains. And obviously when you look at the new car for next year, every time it goes through a development cycle, it's significant steps.

"So it's getting that balance right between the marginal gains for this year and the big steps for next year. But that's no different to how it's been in the past."

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