Since the Miami GP, a chink in Red Bull’s impenetrable armor has got exposed. The same story continued at the Monaco GP as the Milton Keynes outfit botched their setup and could not find a way out of it despite their best efforts. This not only gave Ferrari and McLaren an upper hand for the weekend, but it also gave them faith in their attempts to catch the runaway Red Bulls.
As explained by the experts at The Race in their latest YouTube video, the RB20 excels in a low-ride setup maximizing its aerodynamic efficiency. However, on a street track like Monaco with a lot of bumps, the team had to adjust the ride height.
The conundrum was higher the ride, the lower the performance. Max Verstappen even admitted the car was on the knife edge, really stiff, and did not turn how he would’ve liked.
So, when the RB20 was driven softer and higher the car lost the rear grip and lap time. It was made evident when the Dutchman hit the wall during his last flying lap in Q3 after losing the rear.
The Austrian team tried all permutations and combinations but to no avail. In fact, Verstappen admitted, “It’s a fundamental problem, so it’s not something that can be fixed within weeks.”
It is evident to note, that the reigning world champions may face the same problem in the upcoming races in Canada and Singapore which have similar characteristics. With the grid closing up and four different race winners already, this will become a big concern for Red Bull. This is the exact weakness Ferrari and McLaren can exploit as they’ve already benefitted from it in the season.
Red Bull’s flaws playing into Ferrari and McLaren’s hands as the grid gets closer
Red Bull is still leading the championship on both fronts. However, the gap after the eight races has been closer than it has ever been in the past two years. Ferrari and McLaren have almost caught up to the front-running Austrian team. The persistent flaw in RB20 and Ferrari and McLaren upgrades have put the defending champions under immense pressure.
The general perception has changed from Red Bull being untouchable to the RB20 being the strongest car but not flawless. The SF-24 has been Red Bull’s closest rival and the second-fastest car on average. They’re also now only 24 points behind in the constructor’s championship.
McLaren has also picked up the pace since Miami. The Woking outfit showcased signs of improvement in 2023 after the upgrades. Now, they’ve fast-tracked those upgrades and have become a menace already. For the first time in two years, there could be a championship battle with three teams in the fight now.
