Max Verstappen first he wins the Sprint race, then he takes pole position for the real grand prix and, if that wasn’t enough, he says that finally – after a month and a half of suffering – he is happy with Red Bull’s performancewhich he plans to run another race alone and further bore those who were expecting Ferrari to return.
In short, either something happens, or Verstappen really risks causing F1 audiences to collapse, he is so good, he is so in control of the situation, so sure is he of himself, with a self-esteem that grows from race to race, supported by a perfect car-team combination. The gaps he inflicted in qualifying at Zeltweg speak for themselves, with Norris second (at 4 tenths), Russell third and Sainz fourth at half a second. The margin gained by Ferrari is impressiveconsidering that the much vaunted updates brought in the last races have translated into a unexpected step back, in light – also – of Leclerc’s sixth place (at 7 tenths) accompanied by an excursion off the track on the decisive lap, demonstrating how the Monegasque was at the limit. If we make a comparison with a year ago in Zeltweg, we notice that in 2023 Ferrari was just one tenth away from Verstappen’s pole, while today we are well beyond, with McLaren and Mercedes constantly ahead of the Prancing Horse cars. A reality also highlighted by the Sprint race, in which the reds had a problem with the cooling of the brakes, finishing far behind.
Balance: Red Bull the clear favourite, McLaren and Mercedes fighting for the podium, Ferrari in search of itself with the hope that whoever is in front makes something wrong. It would take a flash, a smile to save the day, otherwise you risk ending up in the tunnel of an unexpected depression, exacerbated by the notable progress of the others, just when Ferrari had announced a constant return to the top positions. And that really hurts.
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