Mark Thompson
Oracle Red Bull Racing is going through a challenging phase in the 2024 Formula 1 season. After a solid three years of dominance, they have struggled, especially in the constructors’ championship, where they are trailing behind the likes of Mclaren and Ferrari. Insider reports suggest that Red Bull is more focused on Verstappen’s driver’s championship than the constructor’s, in which Verstappen still maintains a significant lead against his rivals, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc.
Max Verstappen’s performance this season has been exceptional, significantly influencing Red Bull Racing’s overall strategy. Verstappen is currently leading the driver’s championship with a reasonable gap to Lando Norris; he has been showing recent frustrations over the car performance and race strategy decisions which have exposed tensions within the team and caused many key personnel to leave the team, such as Adrian Newey (chief technology officer), Jonathan Wheatley (sports director), and Will Courtenay (head of strategy). This has raised concerns about its future stability and performance, which has been a big blow to their team.
Sergio Pérez’s performance is impacting Red Bull’s overall performance drastically and has turned their chances of winning the 2024 Constructors Championship. After a promising start at the beginning of the season, picking up 4 podiums in the first 5 races, Pérez has since then faced a significant downfall in form and race pace. He is currently in 8th place in the Constructors Championship and is trailing his teammate Max Verstappen by a staggering 204 points. The pressure on Pérez is combined with his contract, which reportedly includes performance clauses that can lead to him potentially losing his seat if he does not improve. Despite Red Bull’s decision to keep Pérez for the remainder of the season, there is much speculations about his future, especially as many rising talents from the Red Bull junior academy and drivers from other teams are making bold statements in races.
Verstappen has highlighted the need for substantial changes to the car to regain its competitive advantage, suggesting that without significant improvements, Red Bull risks falling even further behind in the constructors championship. Overall, Red Bull Racing finds itself in a very critical situation. Its combination of performance issues, important personnel losses, and increased competition has made it urgent for them to take action. As in the coming races, it will be pivotal to see if they can navigate these challenges and restore their competitive edge.