Last year, Red Bull won almost every race, showing their dominance in Formula 1. At the start of this year, it seemed like they would continue this trend with Max Verstappen leading the charge. However, they faced problems in Australia due to reliability issues, and in Miami, they were beaten by Lando Norris in his upgraded McLaren, which Verstappen called “insane.”
Vasseur, from another team, warned that although Red Bull is still ahead, the gap is closing. Ferrari and McLaren are getting stronger and can challenge Red Bull more than before. Red Bull can’t just win races easily anymore.
Vasseur said that since the start of the season, the competition has been tough, depending on the track. Red Bull is still fast, and Max Verstappen could have won in Miami if not for the safe car. But compared to last year, when Red Bull could easily control races, they now face more pressure and have to be more aggressive with their strategies.
The smaller gap between Red Bull and other teams means race strategies become more crucial. With Ferrari and McLaren catching up, they can challenge Verstappen more, especially when Sergio Perez, Verstappen’s teammate, isn’t performing well.
Vasseur thinks this change is an opportunity for teams like his because they can now fight with Red Bull every weekend if they keep improving.
After McLaren’s upgrades in Miami, Ferrari is getting ready to introduce its own big upgrade package for the next race at Imola. They tested these new parts at their Fiorano track this week to see how they perform before the race.
