The ongoing F1 season has all the bearings of going on to become one of the most legendary campaigns in the history of the sport, given Max Verstappen’s late charge. While McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris dominated the proceedings until the summer break, their dominance has faded away, with the Dutchman eyeing his fifth consecutive title.
And to make matters worse for the McLaren duo ahead of the Sao Paulo GP, Red Bull is seeing the comeback of a deadly advantage that could quickly derail any momentum that the Papaya cars built in Mexico City.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri Should Be Concerned About Red Bull in Brazil
In 2023, Verstappen and Red Bull Racing were on a roaring run in F1, with the Dutchman winning a staggering 19 (out of 22) races. Two more wins fell in Red Bull’s column through Sergio Perez, with Carlos Sainz spoiling their party for a perfect season by winning the Singapore GP.
Despite the hindrance, Verstappen returned to winning ways from the Japanese GP onwards, winning seven consecutive races to further assert his dominance that year.
While the Red Bull car ran a better setup than any other in most races, its one-lap qualifying run wasn’t always the best. Of the 22 races, the now four-time champion held the pole position on 12 occasions, despite winning 19 times.
Notably, Verstappen’s race-winning dominance stemmed from a great setup for the race pace and an almighty DRS advantage that remained unmatched throughout the season. And worryingly, for the McLaren drivers, the advantage from 2023 seems to be back in the Red Bull garage.
Per the numbers run by X user ‘Formula Data Analysis,’ Red Bull had the best DRS advantage of any team in Mexico City and in Austin as well.
In Mexico City, the Red Bull DRS reduced drag by an estimated 34.7%, while Mercedes had the second-best stat with a 34% reduction. McLaren had the third-best estimate with 27.1%, while Ferrari came in next at 21.4%.
In COTA, while Red Bull led the charge once again with a 29.3% reduction, Mercedes saw a 26.7% drag reduction with their system. Ferrari had the next-best DRS on the day with an estimated reduction of 21.9%, as McLaren saw a 21.5% reduction on the day.
Given the numbers, the McLaren drivers are losing a crucial edge to their biggest rival in the title fight out on the track. 116 points (Four Grands Prix and Two Sprint sessions) still remain up for grabs in the remainder of the season, leaving the title wide open.
Only 36 points separate the top three drivers, and the margin could have been less had there not been a late VSC during the Mexico City GP.
Nonetheless, with Verstappen and Red Bull continuing a resurgent run since Christian Horner’s departure, the onus now falls on the McLaren drivers to either deal with the pressure or succumb to it.