Red Bull Racing started the 2024 F1 season as favourites to win the constructors and drivers title as they finished the 2023 season with 23 wins. Max Verstappen sailed through the top smoothly until McLaren whipped a magic wand to cover significant gap in the matter of just a couple of upgrades.
Entering summer break, Red Bull struggled to not only fight McLaren but also Mercedes and Ferrari, resulting in a massive shake up in the championship leaderboard. Meanwhile, with just 9 races left on the calendar, ex-F1 driver Robert Doornbos believes the drink based outfit has made peace with the changed dynamics.
Red Bull No Longer Chasing Constructors Championship!
Red Bull Racing dropped 22 seconds behind McLaren at the recently concluded Dutch Grand Prix as Max Verstappen lost his home race to Lando Norris. It was truly a humbling experience for the defending champions, as they once had a 45-second lead over rivals earlier this year. However, with McLaren being the new supremo, former F1 driver Robert Doornbos believes the Bulls have made their peace with the shift in dominance and have accepted defeat in the constructor race. “In the Constructors’, we just know McLaren will be champion. [Red Bull] They have given up on that,” Doornbos said. However, the ex-driver believes McLaren’s dubious team order during the Hungary Grand Prix robbed Norris of a win, which helped Verstappen extend his lead.
Hence, Red Bull should thank McLaren as their messed up strategy has still kept the drivers’ championship race alive. That being said, as a viewer, Doornbos is enjoying this new phase, and he expects the fight between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen to get fierce as Abu Dhabi GP inches closer. “Nine races Norris is not going to win, but eight maybe,” Robert said. Meanwhile, Lando Norris is beaming with confidence after the Dutch GP victory. He revealed that he has been in the mix since the start of the year and always had the belief of chasing Verstappen eventually. However, with 70-point trail, Norris accepted that he needed to up his game, especially race starts, and secure as many wins as possible. Notably, the young British driver just won his second career race in Zandvoort, and yet he is the front runner to win the driver’s title.
Christian Horner Aims To P2 As Max Verstappen’s Championship Is On The Line
Meanwhile, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner acknowledged McLaren’s meteoric rise and stated how things tend to change quickly in F1. However, Horner is focused on securing drivers championship for Verstappen. He added that the team needs to manifest a setup that suits the tyres across all conditions.
Interestingly, Christian Horner revealed that Red Bull took a few risks with the upgrades and added more downforce than required, which they now regret in hindsight. However, the Dutch GP data is enough for the team to bring positive changes for the rest of the year. And still, if Max Verstappen fails to secure victories, coming second is equally satisfactory.
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