The rivalry in Formula One is heating up as chasing packs prepare to tackle Red Bull’s juggernaut. Red Bull has dominated the last three seasons, winning successive world titles. The squad hopes to duplicate its success of winning four straight titles from 2010 to 2013. However, McLaren and Ferrari are ready to ruin RBR’s dream.
Furthermore, in 2023, they won 22 races, losing just one, but in 2024, RBR lost three out of eight. While the Austrian team is undoubtedly the strongest on the grid, there are indicators that their reign is nearing an end, mainly as Ferrari and McLaren move up to fight them ferociously. Fred Vasseur feels Red Bull is in peril due to stiff competition. He has aired his thoughts on Max Verstappen’s recent form and the future of Formula One.
Addressing the RB20’s Core Weaknesses That Compel Max Verstappen Towards Errors
Although Red Bull has been head and shoulders above the competition, the emergence of McLaren and Ferrari raises concerns. While RBR has won five of eight races thus far, McLaren and Scuderia have put it in an ‘uncomfortable state.’. The first defeat occurred in Australia when Carlos Sainz took advantage of Verstappen’s retirement due to a technical malfunction. The second happened at the recent Miami Grand Prix, where Lando Norris used the safety car to end Verstappen’s Miami run. The third and most disappointing was at the tight circuit of Monaco. Following the race, Ferrari CEO Fred Vasseur praised McLaren’s upgrade package. Fred believes both teams are reducing the distance between them and RBR. While Vasseur does not doubt the Red Bull racing team, he does note a decrease in their dominance compared to 2023. Furthermore, the squad is no longer in its ‘comfort zone’ since they were the front runners last year, easily winning every race.
The Monte Carlo circuit proved too challenging for the low-riding RB20. Therefore, RB20’s tricky balance is forcing Verstappen to commit errors. During qualifying in Monaco, he made contact with the wall, dropping him to sixth place. Vasseur believes the reigning world champions have been ‘pushed to do more.’ Consequently, the RBR team is committing more mistakes. Further, he compared the current RBR situation with a snowball effect as they’re now paying more attention to the details.
Fred Vasseur Determined to End Ferrari’s World Title Drought
Ferrari’s fortune has been contrasting to that of Red Bull. The team won its last Driver’s World Championship title in 2007 with Kimi Raikkonen. Since then, the team has consistently been a contender but never a winner. However, Fred Vasseur is adamant to break the curse.
With Charles Leclerc just 31 points behind Max Verstappen, the dream of a world title is now within reach. However, Vasseur has advised the Maranello squad to continue performing. He expects the team to score points on tough days and win on better days. Ultimately, the leader described the ‘worst case scenario’ as when the team felt it was done. Hence, he warned the team about the upcoming tides of the F1.
