F1 preview: Christian Horner interview

What rival cars have caught your eye so far?

“The Mercedes looks very innovative and the Lotus is quite interesting, while McLaren has obviously gone a slightly different way to the others. But that’s the great thing about F1 – looking at the various solutions that different design groups come up with.”

Are you happy with Red Bull’s progress in pre-season testing?

“I think we’re satisfied with the testing that we’ve done. I think we always want more, and I’m sure every team in the pitlane is saying the same. But the car’s still evolving and will continue to evolve. It will be a development race now and throughout the season.”

How is the technical tie-up with car maker Infiniti benefiting the team?

“It has proved to be very successful. We’ve got a lot of really good stuff going on between our engineers and the engineers based in Japan, where they’re working on future KERS battery technologies and solutions, which could well be integrated as early as this year.”

And just how important is the US Grand Prix for the future of F1?

“America is a key market for all the teams and their commercial partners. I think it’s important to put on a good show. We’re really excited about this race.”

2012 Formula One calendar

18 March: Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne
25 March: Malaysian Grand Prix, Kuala Lumpur
15 April: Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai
22 April: Bahrain Grand Prix, Sakhir
13 May: Spanish Grand Prix, Catalunya
27 May: Monaco Grand Prix, Monte Carlo
10 June: Canadian Grand Prix, Montreal
24 June: European Grand Prix, Valencia
8 July: British Grand Prix, Silverstone
22 July: German Grand Prix, Hockenheim
29 July: Hungarian Grand Prix, Budapest
2 September: Belgian Grand Prix, Spa
9 September: Italian Grand Prix, Monza
23 September: Singapore Grand Prix, Singapore
7 October: Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka
14 October: Korean Grand Prix, Yeongam
28 October: Indian Grand Prix, New Delhi
4 November: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina
18 November: United States Grand Prix, Austin
25 November: Brazilian Grand Prix, Sao Paulo