Red Bull aren’t in the most comfortable position for the first time in more than two seasons. Considering, the way McLaren has been closing the gap, Red Bull is at risk of losing their lead in the Constructors’ championship.
Therefore, several F1 pundits believe that this weekend’s Dutch GP could decide which of the two teams holds a better chance of winning the Constructors’ title. ESPN’s Nate Saunders believes that if Red Bull fails to win the race at Zandvoort, then they are likely to be in huge trouble.
Coming in hot
Who’s in top form heading to Zandvoort? #F1 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/T7sko2SJjo
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 21, 2024
“If Red Bull get outscored in Zandvoort by McLaren, then that’s proper alarm bells,” Saunders said. The F1 expert then added that if Red Bull does not manage to win the Dutch GP, they could find themselves 30 or 40 points behind McLaren by the time F1 heads to the United States Grand Prix in Austin.
If McLaren were indeed able to lead Red Bull by 30 or 40 points by the time the United States GP takes place, it would be nothing less than surprising because the Woking-based outfit currently find themselves 42 points behind the Milton Keynes-based team.
Saunders believes that it is critical for Red Bull to win at the Dutch GP because the races after Zandvoort do not particularly suit the RB20.
McLaren are the favorites to win in the races after Zandvoort
After the Dutch GP, F1 will take place in Italy and then in Azerbaijan, two tracks that have several high-speed corners, an area where McLaren have the advantage over Red Bull.
Even if Red Bull were somehow to minimize the damage at these two tracks, they are likely to struggle in Singapore, the only circuit at which they failed to win last year.
A track like Singapore has not suited Red Bull’s cars since it is a street circuit and has several bumps and kerbs.
Hence, if Red Bull does struggle at these venues as expected, it would be the perfect time for McLaren to capitalize and perhaps even emerge as the leaders in the Constructors’ Championship after this race, as Saunders predicted.
While there is no doubt that Red Bull are in real danger of losing the Constructors’ title this season, Max Verstappen seems to have some more comfort at the top.
If Lando Norris is to beat the Dutchman for the Drivers’ title this season, then the Briton will have to cover a whopping 78-point gap with just 10 races remaining in the season.
