Max Verstappen was the fastest driver by far during qualifying ahead of the Belgian GP. However, an engine penalty sent him down to P11, from where he struggled to make his way past the midfield. This was in stark contrast to the 2023 season when Verstappen would breeze past cars without any difficulty. However, a lot has changed since then.
Nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, like many other experts, felt that Red Bull was nowhere near as fast as its rivals. In the F1 Nation Podcast, Tom Clarkson asked him whether Verstappen’s DRS advantage weakened. Kristensen replied,
“That’s a factor. And the fact is that the other teams have caught up. Teams are better [than] they used to be, and his DRS is not as powerful as it used to be.”
Verstappen last won a race in Spain, a month ago, and has struggled to finish in the podium places since then. With only one top-three finish in the last four races, times have truly been tough for Verstappen.
P14 ⏭️ P1
Max was unstoppable in Spa two years ago #F1 || #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/EJBPHZDHNP
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) July 23, 2024
With Red Bull’s dominance faltering, McLaren has taken over the reins as F1’s fastest team. However, the Woking-based team has made too many mistakes, and Mercedes is not too far behind.
Mercedes pushes forward amid Red Bull and McLaren’s struggles
With Red Bull and McLaren unable to find consistency, Mercedes has made major strides, and are heading towards a resurgence. The last four races saw the Silver Arrows take home three wins, with two of them going to Lewis Hamilton. Thus, the Brackley-based team is taking a major chunk of points away from the two other teams fighting for the championship.
105 Lewis breaks the @F1 win record previously held by @LewisHamilton pic.twitter.com/iRAHraURx9
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) July 29, 2024
McLaren needs to use the mid-season break to regroup. Poor strategies and on-track execution from its drivers have cost the papaya outfit a lot, and they need to get on top of it.
Verstappen also understands the same and urges Red Bull to fix what needs fixing. For the most part, he has been alone in the push to defend his team’s title. But his team needs to minimize the faults in their car for him to keep pushing.
