Less than a week after taking victory in Zandvoort, Lando Norris and McLaren have delivered an equally devastating blow to Red Bull. As made undeniably clear in Monza qualifying, the RB20 is several steps behind McLaren, regardless of track layout. Max Verstappen is on the defensive, and there are no signs of upgrades coming from Red Bull anytime soon.
Red Bull decline is set to dominate F1 news for near future
Max Verstappen warnings were ignored
In the first five rounds of the season, Max Verstappen was winning races in dominant fashion. However, the introduction of McLaren’s upgrade package in Miami erased the RB20’s advantage.
Although Andrea Stella’s team enjoyed a small advantage, it was within touching distance of Red Bull. The papaya squad’s latest updates have given them an even bigger cushion, pushing Red Bull into the clutches of Ferrari and Mercedes.
Whilst the Austrian team’s decline appears sharp, their current issues have been present for several months.
Verstappen has long been critical of the RB20’s handling – but only now are these complaints reflected in the timing sheets.
Speaking on the JOE radio station, Jos Verstappen (Max’s father) argued that Red Bull dismissed the early warning signs:
“Verstappen already indicated at the beginning of the season that the balance was not right.
“That was not brought out – because you try to keep that inside [of the team]. But back then, he was already complaining about the balance.
“Only they didn’t really believe it, or they didn’t see it back then, and now you’re actually a little bit too late.”
F1 News: Red Bull recovery will be difficult
It is normal for performance between teams to fluctuate from race to race. However, this is not the situation Red Bull are confronted with.
McLaren, Mercedes and – to a lesser extent – Ferrari have introduced upgrades while Red Bull stagnated. Max Verstappen managed to limit the damage for several months, but this no longer seems possible.
Not only are the RB20’s characteristics similar from the beginning of 2024, but updates have been virtually non-existent from Milton Keynes. Unsurprisingly, given their current limitations are not new, there are no immediate solutions.
Much like in the early rounds of the year, Christian Horner’s team are struggling to bring improvements. The main difference is that, unlike several months ago, the Championship standings are going against the Austrian team.
Monza isn’t a circuit that necessarily suits the MCL38 either, meaning that Norris and Piastri could have an even bigger advantage in the upcoming rounds.
