Red Bull has had a difficult first half of the season, and both championships look out of reach for the Austrian team. The Milton Keynes-based team currently lie fourth in the championship, 288 points behind leaders McLaren. Max Verstappen sit 69 points behind Oscar Piastri after a poor run of results.
This season has cost former team principal Christian Horner his job, while Verstappen is weighing up his options for next season. Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso believes the fault lies not with Verstappen, but with Red Bull, who haven’t given the Dutchman a car to consistently challenge with.
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Red Bull has produced a car that cannot consistently compete for wins. Verstappen has seen the chequered flag first twice this season in Japan and Imola, but these are two tracks notorious for being difficult to overtake at. Overall, the RB21 has been difficult for even the four-time world champion to handle, and it’s costing him a chance to retain his championship.
Fernando Alonso, who won two world titles in 2005 and 2006, believes Verstappen is having a good season, but doesn’t have the tools to win. Speaking to DANZ, he said: “I think Verstappen has had his best season to date every year.”
“In 2021, he stole the championship away from Lewis Hamilton, and then he dominated for several years in a row. He didn’t have the most dominant car last year and won the championship with several races to go.”
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“This year, he may not even have a car that’s one of the best two or three, but he’s still fighting along. He always performs at the top level. It’s another task for Red Bull to give him a car to fight for the championship. But there is no doubt about him.”
Red Bull began their decline mid-way through last season. Verstappen was cruising in the championship until McLaren introduced its upgrade package in Miami. Since then, Red Bull has stopped being the fastest team on the grid, often falling behind McLaren and Ferrari. This decline has continued into this season, leaving Verstappen far behind the McLaren pair.
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The RB21 is a difficult car to drive. Verstappen has complained about handling issues over the kerbs, and the car has a narrow operating window. The car understeers into a corner and then transitions into oversteer, showing the RB21 has balance issues.
Verstappen’s skill has enabled him to fight for podiums this season, with five occasions on the rostrum. The second seat has recorded seven points between the two drivers, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda. The car is still aimed towards Verstappen, meaning the second driver has to adapt their style or struggle to tame the car.
The dip in performance can be linked to last season when Adrian Newey left Red Bull. The design legend created a beast of a car in 2023, where the team won all but one race. Since Newey’s departure, Red Bull has struggled to win consistently as their design and upgrade packages have lost an edge. But can Red Bull recover this season? Let us know in the comments below.
