For the first time since 2022, Red Bull isn’t the outright favorite to win an F1 race. McLaren and Ferrari have made tremendous strides, and Red Bull’s woes with the car’s balance have added to their misery, especially in the current Monaco GP weekend. Slim margins often determine outcomes in F1, and Red Bull could see themselves losing to Ferrari if the latter makes an ever-so-slight improvement.
According to data published by F1, Red Bull is just 0.01 seconds ahead of Ferrari in race simulation pace. This is a marginal difference, which could work in favor of either outfit. Pole position in Monaco often guarantees a win because drivers face difficulties in overtaking around his historic circuit.
According to https://t.co/42XicoYcrC, Red Bull and Ferrari are split by 0.01s with McLaren being the third fastest team 0.08s behind. pic.twitter.com/bqUgCSGOCE
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) May 24, 2024
Ferrari also appears to be strong on one-lap pace, with Charles Leclerc topping FP2 on Friday, about half a second clear of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull. If the Maranello-based outfit can keep up with his performance in qualifying, Leclerc (or Carlos Sainz) could get pole.
In that case, there will be little Red Bull can do. Even with their marginal advantage on paper, overtaking around Monaco won’t be easy, unless the one in front makes a mistake.
Where does McLaren rank in Red Bull vs Ferrari battle?
The last time Red Bull and Ferrari went toe to toe in Monaco was in 2022, when Charles Leclerc, who was on course to win his home race comfortably, lost out on P1 because of a strategic blunder on his team’s part.
This year, the race in the principality is set to be competitive again, but with McLaren added to the mix. The Woking-based outfit isn’t too far behind on race pace, as they are 0.08 seconds behind Red Bull. According to this data, the only three teams in contention should be Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren.
Charles ️ “It was a great feeling to be back in the car on the streets of my home town and to feel all the support, we will give it everything to have a good one tomorrow.”
Wrapping up a crucial day on the track #MonacoGP
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) May 24, 2024
After them comes Red Bull’s sister team RB, who are 0.63 behind. While Mercedes did show promise on Friday with Lewis Hamilton’s one-lap pace, their speed in the long run doesn’t appear to be too impressive.
However, qualifying is of utmost importance in Monaco. With a good run around the streets of Monte Carlo on Saturday, teams could virtually lock up their positions, irrespective of how fast the ones behind them are, on Sunday.
