Sergio Perez’s lap one shunt with Kevin Magnussen at the Monaco GP could result in dire consequences for Red Bull’s title defense this season. Perez’s crash caused massive damage to the RB20, and in the cost-cap era, Red Bull could find it difficult to repair and develop the car at the same time. This also comes at a time when their rivals Ferrari and McLaren are breathing down their necks.
According to Formula1a.uno, the team’s advisor Helmut Marko revealed that Red Bull has a damage bill in the range of $2-3 million.
While they won’t face any immediate repercussions for repairing Perez’s car, any other crash this season could lead to Red Bull calling off their late-season upgrades. “This is a big handicap for us with the budget cap,” Marko said.
| If Red Bull suffers any additional damage costs, they may be forced to postpone or even abandon their late-season upgrades.
— formularacers (@formularacers_) May 28, 2024
Both Ferrari and McLaren have closed the gap to Red Bull massively. Following Charles Leclerc’s win in Monaco last Sunday, Ferrari is now just 24 points adrift of the Milton-Keynes-based outfit. And with the 2024 season now looking to go down to the wire, the latter will need to maintain its slim advantage through the constant development of the RB20.
For the first time in the ground effect era of the sport, the reigning World Champions’ lead looks fragile. With how closely matched the top three teams are currently, small margins are extremely crucial for Red Bull and Max Verstappen to defend their titles.
Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc have broken down Red Bull’s defenses
After two years of unprecedented Red Bull advantage, the mood in the F1 paddock has changed. According to Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur, the Championship has been blown wide open by the recent upturn of pace shown by his team and McLaren.
The tides turned from the 2024 Miami GP onwards. It was the race where McLaren brought its first upgrade package of the season. And Lando Norris went on to register his first Grand Prix win, outperforming Verstappen fair and square.
The following race in Imola saw Verstappen barely hold on to his lead in the closing stages, somehow managing to finish P1. However, in Monaco, their weakness was exposed completely.
Both Ferrari and McLaren outperformed Red Bull, with the latter’s struggles in the kerbs and bumps being very evident. Verstappen and Perez were not comfortable with the handling of the car, whereas the Ferrari and McLaren drivers all finished close to each other at the top.
For Red Bull, the signs are ominous. They aren’t out of the mix yet, as in traditional circuits they are still expected to be the favorites. But for the teams hunting Red Bull down, the future looks exciting.
