The 10 races remaining on the Formula One calendar could be enough to end Red Bull’s reign… at least in the Constructors’ Championship.
And the upturn shown by their rivals is cause for concern. Ferrari had emerged as the main contender, but then McLaren brought out its claws and Mercedes joined the fight to dethrone the energy drink team.
At least, of all the problems facing the Red Bulls, one seems to be resolved ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, which marks the end of the off-season.
With Sergio Pérez confirmed to continue as Max Verstappen’s teammate until the end of the season, both drivers are expected to score as many points as possible.
With the pressure off the Mexican, the team is trying to regain its level and fight, first, to get back into the Top 5 and, later, to go for the podiums again… if their rivals allow it.
The question is when Checo will wake up and if it is not too late to face McLaren, who continue to press the accelerator to the floor, or Mercedes, who have excelled in the last four races.
Although Verstappen still has a considerable lead in the Drivers’ Championship – he leads with 277 points and Lando Norris is second with 199 – to secure the Dutchman’s fourth crown they must restore speed and stability to his car.
For months now, the RB20 has no longer been the benchmark on the grid and its evolution has been of little use because, although it is fast in Qualifying, it cannot find its rhythm in long runs.
The heavy blow caused by the departure of Adrian Newey as technical director at the Milton Keynes factory is beginning to weigh heavily and is noticeable with the absence of “Super Max” at the top of the podium.
Whether it’s because of the upturn in rivals or because Red Bull is showing its mettle, the second half of the F1 campaign is set to be very close.
Victory for Checo?
Checo is key to retaining the Constructors’ Championship, but… he must score a lot of points.
And unlike in 2023, when at this point in the campaign he already had two victories – Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan – this season Checo is far from the podium.
The Mexican rider has not tasted victory this year and even that moment might not come because now there are already eight riders fighting for victory. Checo is seventh overall with 131 points and only 4 podiums in 14 GPs.
Baku and Singapore are tracks that have favoured the Guadalajara native, but today the conditions are different with the RB20.
McLaren aims for the title
Having a competitive line-up like McLaren’s is paying off.
In their second year together, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are on the verge of stealing the Constructors’ Championship from Red Bull, which still leads with 408 points to the papaya-coloured team’s 366.
Unlike the Red Bulls, the Woking team can boast that both of their drivers have scored points in almost every race and are aiming for the top of the points table. Norris is second in the Drivers’ Championship with 199 points and Piastri is fourth with 167.
And whether it’s on the British or Australian side, McLaren will continue to add points.
Here comes Mercedes!
The Silver Arrows are the team with the second most race wins this year, with three, only behind Red Bull’s seven victories, only that trio of triumphs have been obtained in the last four races that have been contested.
Mercedes has seen George Russell on the top step of the podium once – in Austria – and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton on two occasions – in Great Britain and Belgium.
In those last four races, the German team has collected 114 points, of which 80 were Hamilton’s. For now, his 266 points are far from Ferrari’s 345, but the star’s team looks more solid than the Prancing Horse.
How is F1 doing in 2024?
In victories
- 7 for Max Verstappen
- 2 by Lewis Hamilton
- 1 by George Russell
- 1 by Lando Norris
- 1 by Oscar Piastri
- 1 by Charles Leclerc
- 1 by Carlos Sainz
In constructors points
- Red Bull 408
- McLaren 366
- Ferrari 345
- 266 Mercedes
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