Over the past two Formula 1 race weekends, Red Bull has been sounding the alarm over their title chances. Lando Norris’ dominant win in the Dutch Grand Prix, followed by a difficult weekend for Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez at the Italian Grand Prix, has seen McLaren cut Red Bull’s lead in the Constructors’ Championship to single digits.
And with Charles Leclerc’s victory in Monza, Ferrari has now rejoined what Team Principal Frederic Vasseur believes will be “a huge fight” down the stretch.
Red Bull is seeking answers, and fast ones at that, as to what ails the RB20. According to senior advisor Dr. Helmut Marko, the upcoming United States Grand Prix in Austin might be the pivotal moment in that search. With the next two races coming at street circuits — first, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix followed by the Singapore Grand Prix — the track at Circuit of the Americas will be critical to Red Bull’s effort to hold off a charging McLaren, as well as to get Verstappen past the pole in his Drivers’ Championship fight with Norris.
“We are having a tire test with Liam Lawson in Monza and at the same time our people will be analyzing where we should make adjustments. We have to find the point where we went wrong in development,” said Marko to Austrian outlet OE24. “We already have a few conclusive findings, now we have to implement the corresponding technical changes quickly so that the car has the right balance again. The next two races on the street circuits in Baku and Singapore are not very informative in this regard. Austin will show whether we can achieve the turnaround.”
Marko also continued to raise doubts over whether Verstappen can hold off Norris in their Drivers’ Championship battle. At the moment Verstappen enjoys a 62-point lead over his McLaren rival with eight race weekends remaining. But when you factor in the three additional F1 Sprint Races, that gives Norris plenty of opportunities to close that gap.
Especially if Red Bull cannot find the answers they need.
“Oh yes, if we don’t give [Verstappen] a driveable car and deliver a performance like that a few more times, then anything is possible,” added Marko.
