Red Bull dominated the 2023 season and started the current season where they left off. Many expected Red Bull and Max Verstappen to cruise to the championship. However, McLaren and Mercedes made a huge comeback. Now, David Coulthard has come out to hail the Papaya Team and Silver Arrows for being the golden era of F1.
“It’s becoming a lot more competitive because we’ve got Mercedes winning races, McLaren winning races, Ferrari may be lagging a bit behind but inevitably they will find form. So I think we’re in a golden era of Formula 1”, said Coulthard during an interview uploaded on the RacingNews365com YouTube channel.
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The Australian GP DNF aside, Max Verstappen had won all the races in the first quarter. With multiple 1-2 finishes, Red Bull were the championship favorites. However, McLaren‘s Miami GP upgrade package changed things. Lando Norris has been on the Dutchman’s gearbox since the race in Florida.
Mercedes, on the other hand, got rid of their Achilles heel with the new front wing and floor upgrades. Instantly, the Brackley outfit was quick and took the pole in Canada. Going into the mid-season break, Mercedes won 3 of the last 4 races.
The RB20 is no longer the fastest car with McLaren and Mercedes making the big steps in performance. The car’s performance is dependent on the track characteristics. Thus, there have been seven different race winners so far this season.
Ferrari has been in and around the pace of the leaders. With the performance index of the grid closer than ever, Ferrari being a tenth away from the top means they’re currently the 4th best team. Regardless, as Coulthard mentioned, the Italian stable will inevitably bounce back.
However, the title fight is between McLaren and Red Bull at the moment. Similarly, Norris and Verstappen will face off for the driver’s championship.
McLaren challenges Red Bull for the Constructors
Red Bull scored a total of 268 points in the first seven races of the season whereas McLaren merely scored 154. However, the tables turned as the Papaya Team scored 212 points in the next seven races compared to the Milton Keynes outfit’s 140.
As a result, McLaren is only 42 behind Red Bull in the championship going into the second half of the season. Red Bull’s biggest problem is Sergio Perez not scoring enough points. Max Verstappen has been keeping the team’s championship alive.
On the other hand, McLaren is scoring big points with both their drivers. Checo is the only driver from the Top 4 teams to not win a race this season. Hence, McLaren will easily take home the constructors championship if this trend continues.
However, the scenario is different in the driver’s championship. Although the RB20 isn’t as quick as the McLaren, Verstappen can take it beyond the limits. Despite Red Bull’s downfall, Verstappen still has a 78-point gap to Norris. If the championship contenders continue to exchange wins, the points gap will ensure the Dutchman takes home the championship
