Red Bull have been utterly dominant in 2023 as the team have won all the races in the 2023 season, barring one. That being said, the gap that they pulled to their rivals with the RB19 has slowly started to fade. Ex-Benetton and Williams test driver Perry McCarthy believes that this is an ominous sign of things to come.
Even though Max Verstappen is still dominating every race weekend, the margin of victory has started to come down. Majorly, this is down to rivals like McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes clawing back some performance. But according to McCarthy, there will come a time when the mighty will fall.
DOMINANCE!! 💪 @Max33Verstappen WINS the #BrazilGP 🏆 pic.twitter.com/uW2lbuqCZF
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) November 5, 2023
He told The SportsRush in an exclusive interview, “It is incredibly difficult to create a leadership position inside of Formula 1. It is also then incredibly difficult to maintain that and stay there. And at some point, they will fracture. Somebody else will find something.”
Ever since the 2022 regulations reset, the developmental race within the sport has been extraordinary. And while Red Bull set the precedent last year with the RB18, McCarthy is of the firm belief that their own brilliance is going to haunt them in the future.
How Red Bull have inadvertently handed their rivals the advantage?
The likes of McLaren and Ferrari are likely to see major strides in 2024. It has become easier for them to do so because Red Bull have handed them a blueprint to follow. “Their [Red Bull] level of brilliance is driving the others even better,” continued Perry McCarthy. Seeing Red Bull’s dominance, McCarthy acknowledges that the teams have become more introspective and competitive.
Lando Norris is “excited” about McLaren’s prospects heading towards the 2024 Formula 1 season and has optimism they will be able to compete against Red Bull for race victories ⚔
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 9, 2023
Lando Norris seems to resonate with the same sentiment. He told Motorsport.com, “For us to go from where we were in Bahrain to getting close and talking about fighting a Red Bull, I think are very good signs for us. We know we still have plenty more things to come next year, so I’m excited.”
Hence, the pressure will be on Red Bull as 2024 approaches. But can the Adrian Newey-led team thwart the opposition, or will their rivals use Red Bull’s own advantage to beat them.
