Red Bull, after two years, has ceded the lead of the Constructors’ World Championship to McLaren. Oscar Piastri’s victory and Lando Norris’ fourth place have allowed the Woking team to overtake the Milton Keynes team, despite Sergio Perez’s retirement and an anonymous Max Verstappen’s fifth place.
McLaren now has 476 points against Red Bull’s 456. Just 20 points, therefore recoverable – at least on paper – in just one weekend. But the performance situation that exists at the moment – in reality for several weeks – in Formula 1 leaves one perplexed as to whether Red Bull can come back and make the counter-overtaking.
Confirming this are the words of Helmut Marko. The super consultant of Red Bull did not hide, admitting that within the team directed by Christian Horner no longer believes in the conquest of the third consecutive Constructors’ title after those obtained by dominating in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
McLaren is so strong that a counter-comeback seems impossible, but what plays in Red Bull’s favor when looking at the Drivers’ Championship is the dualism that is forming in McLaren between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Something that could go well beyond the now well-known Papaya Rules.
Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, 1st position, Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari, 2nd position
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
“To be honest, yes, we consider the Constructors’ Championship lost. The positive thing is that Piastri is very close to Lando in terms of points. So, as far as the team order or papaya, there will be no clarity any time soon.”
To take home the title, although Max Verstappen still has a 59-point advantage (more than he had at the Monaco Grand Prix over Norris), the team will have to work better on the car’s set-up. Verstappen chose the wrong path in Baku and was anonymous all weekend. This must not happen again.
“The Drivers’ Championship? We need to find speed and the car needs to be easier to manage in terms of set-up. But we are confident, from what we have seen here, that we can do it and that we can win this drivers’ championship with our own strength.”
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