The 2023 season was a near-perfect campaign for Red Bull, with 21 wins in 22 races, a double world championship, and dominance that seemed unstoppable. However, just a year later, the team has experienced a dramatic turnaround. The defending champions are now grappling with internal turmoil, technical setbacks, and a string of disappointing performances. Several key staff members have departed amid the crisis, while the RB20 car faces ongoing technical challenges.
Meanwhile, Red Bull’s rivals, McLaren and Ferrari, have made significant strides with consistent upgrades, moving ahead in the Constructors’ Championship standings. Currently, Red Bull finds itself trailing behind both teams. In a stark contrast to their previous dominance, Red Bull’s chances of securing the Constructors’ Championship have dramatically fallen from 92.6% in Miami to just 9.2% by the time of the Mexican Grand Prix. Recently, Max Verstappen pointed out RBR’s inability to understand technical issues.
“We Always Kept Pushing,” Verstappen Highlights Key Points From The 2024 Season
Max Verstappen has openly admitted that Red Bull faced significant challenges in understanding the race pace of its rivals during his 10-race winless streak. Following his victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in June, the 27-year-old struggled to return to the podium’s top step until his impressive win at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in early November, marking his longest winless stretch since 2020.
Despite the lean period, Verstappen is now on the brink of securing a fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship. His consistent performances, especially in qualifying, alongside Red Bull’s strong early-season form, have played a crucial role in keeping him competitive. However, he acknowledged the team’s confusion over how rivals like McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes were able to outperform them in the long-run race pace over those four months. Verstappen expressed that he was determined to break the winless streak and had been actively working to improve the car, even starting from 17th place in Brazil, a position that initially seemed to make another victory unlikely.
Can Red Bull Clinch The Constructors Title?
Lando Norris’ sprint victory at Interlagos had cut Max Verstappen’s championship lead to 44 points with four races remaining. However, after Verstappen surged through the field to win, his lead has now grown to 62 points. While Red Bull’s chances of winning the Constructors’ Championship appear slim, Verstappen remains optimistic that the team can build on the Brazilian result and improve their performance in the final races of the season, though overturning McLaren’s 59-point advantage is unlikely.
Verstappen described the Brazilian result as a significant boost for the team, acknowledging that it had been a tough period. He praised the team’s ability to stay calm and focused on improving their performance. Despite the challenges, he expressed confidence in Red Bull’s ability to fight back in the remaining races, particularly in the race where he believes they will be more competitive.