Despite Max Verstappen’s points advantage in the standings, serious concerns are emerging from Red Bull. The defending champions believe they are in danger of losing both titles to Norris and McLaren. This is reflected in Helmut Marko’s comments, which mirror the general sense of nervousness at Milton Keynes.
Red Bull: Norris is within striking range of Verstappen
F1 news reports anticipate Red Bull decline
The narrative surrounding Christian Horner’s team is very unusual, considering they are leading both Championships.
Then again, there is no denying Red Bull have lost tremendous ground to McLaren and Mercedes – whose mid-season progress has been rapid.
In many ways, Max Verstappen made the RB20 look better than it was with his performances before the summer break.
However, with McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari all working on updates, the reigning Champions have nowhere to hide.
Red Bull are certainly not oblivious to the situation, with several senior personnel admitting to concerns. Helmut Marko is among them, admitting that the situation is worsening:
“We couldn’t keep up with the pace at all,” Marko told Kleine Zeitung.
“Now we have to do our jobs. Because a lead of 70 points in the drivers’ championship is not enough when nine races are still to go.
“We were beaten clearly and fairly [in Zandvoort], and to an extent that is alarming.
“The car needs more balance so that the drivers can trust the car again. We have to change that.”
F1 News: Red Bull approach their ceiling
Aside from the RB20’s obvious decline in relative performance, there are other fundamental issues to address.
Verstappen is unhappy with the handling characteristics of his RB20, which have become less compatible with his driving style.
In addition, Red Bull are still formulating solutions to their problems. The team conducted comparative work last weekend in Zandvoort, collecting data from Verstappen and Perez – who were running different specifications.
Typically, this suggests that a team is still focusing on understanding their issues rather than having solutions ready in the pipeline.
Improvements to the RB20 could take some time to arrive, at which point McLaren and Ferrari could have made further steps forward.
There is no guarantee Red Bull’s updates will be effective either, given their Hungarian GP package failed to deliver meaningful performance.
At least for now, it is clear that Red Bull are on the defensive.
The next few weeks could consist of damage limitation for the Austrian outfit.
