Red Bull have no answer to the development rate at McLaren and Mercedes
Generally speaking, Ferrari are the team associated with lack-lustre mid-season development. Just two months ago, Fred Vasseur’s squad introduced an update in Spain their derailed their trajectory. However, in a surprise to the F1 world, Red Bull are also suffering from a downward spiral. For the first time in over two years, Red Bull are struggling to find a solution.
In the early rounds of 2024, Red Bull were in a relatively comfortable position.
Max Verstappen was securing victories consistently, whilst Sergio Perez regularly found himself on the podium.
Unfortunately for the team based in Milton Keynes, this advantage has rapidly been eroded.
Updates are no longer generating the desired usable downforce, with the Austrian outfit failing to bring meaningful innovations to the RB20.
Rivals pose a rising threat to Red Bull
Ferrari issued the first warning in Australia, as Carlos Sainz capitalised on Verstappen’s DNF to win the race.
McLaren soon signalled their own intentions in Miami, becoming the fastest team after bringing their first major 2024 upgrades.
Andrea Stella’s team have maintained this advantage over Red Bull – despite very few updates arriving from Woking in the races since.
Mercedes have also joined the battle at the front after finally getting up to speed with this generation of cars and their tendencies.
Upgrades to the W15 have proven extremely effective, even if changes to track conditions can still upset balance.
James Allison’s technical team are no longer working with one hand tied behind their back.
This gives the German constructor a reliable plaform for the remainder of 2024 and – just as crucially – 2025.
Relatively limited upgrades arriving from Milton Keynes
The budget cap forces teams to be efficient with their resources. Outfits with significant financial backing no longer have the same margin for error as in previous years.
Because of these heightened stakes, Red Bull’s latest update package in Hungary was particularly disappointing.
Whilst having some impact, these modifications failed to unlock the performance desired from the factory.
Given the quantity of parts introduced and money spent on their production, the end result is a concern for Red Bull.
Unlike McLaren, who are within striking distance in the Championship, Red Bull have already used a sizable chunk of their development budget.
McLaren’s Andrea Stella has spoken optimistically about the improvements he expects over the coming weeks.
Conversely, Red Bull are struggling with diminishing returns in their search for lap time.
These development concerns are one of many problems for Red Bull problems to contend with.
Between Sergio Perez’s performance struggles and the departure of key personnel (most recently, Jonathan Wheatley), the reigning Champions are on the defensive.
Time will tell how they respond after the summer.
