The year 2023 was phenomenal for Red Bull and Max Verstappen. The duo clinched almost every GP while staying miles ahead of others. The dominance made them look untouchable as Max Verstappen paved his way to the third consecutive world title. The start of the 2024 season in Bahrain was similar to 2023, and everyone believed RBR’s dominance would continue.
However, the internal chaos at Milton Keynes, accompanied by Christian Horner’s involvement in a sexual misconduct case, made things look gloomy. While RB20 is still the fastest car on the grid, other teams are slowly inching towards it. Thus, the question remains whether Red Bull’s domination era will mark its end.
Verstappen Rescued Sinking Red Bull At Imola
The Orange Army was confident Red Bull would dominate the 2024 season after an exceptional start. The RBR duo drove easily to finish 1-2, with a 25-second gap over Carlos Sainz in third spot. Although Red Bull has won five out of seven GPs so far, the on-paper results only partially reflect the whole story. The start of the weekend was rough for RBR, as Verstappen kept complaining about the car during practice. After a horrible run at practice sessions, the technical team made minor tweaks to suit the track better.
Consequently, it helped the Dutchman to get the eighth straight pole, which equaled the record of the legend Ayrton Senna. However, the Sunday race was more fierce as the Austrian outfit faced competition from McLaren and Ferrari. While Verstappen clinched his fifth title of the season, Lando Norris was hot on the tail of the RB20. The three-time world champion constantly complained about the car, as he felt uncomfortable during the practice. However, he felt much better at the Sunday race only until the hard tires were bolted. It seemed almost impossible to grip the ground with hard tires, as he felt like ‘sliding into the grandstand.’
After the race, Verstappen told the media that the team needed to improve as the other teams were catching up. This statement depicts the current scenario at the F1 paddock. While Red Bull has enjoyed a fair lead, the latest Imola GP was an example of rivals gearing up. Therefore, the engineers at Milton Keynes are under immense pressure, as Verstappen has made it clear that he will remain with a team that provides the fastest car. In the end, Verstappen’s racing skill was the differentiator, as Lando Norris missed out by 0.7 seconds. In contrast, while driving the same RB20, Sergio Perez struggled throughout the race and failed to score any points.
Will Internal Unrest Persist At Milton Keynes Amid Questions Raised On Driver Performance?
Since Sergio Perez had an outing at Imola that he would like to forget, the questions about his place are getting louder. The Mexcian racer fell behind Mercedes during the qualification, making his comeback impossible on Sunday.
Christian Horner shared his views on Perez’s performance, as the team wanted him at the top with Verstappen. Sergio Perez might have to earn a place at Red Bull as his contract will end in 2025. With drivers like Carlos Sainz available in the upcoming season, his team might leave him behind.