After a strong start to the season which saw Max Verstappen win seven out of the opening 10 races, Red Bull’s familiar dominance started faltering. Soon, they were no longer the fastest team on the grid. On the other hand, rivals such as McLaren and Ferrari started progressing rapidly, which made it very likely that they could contend for the Championship next season.
This would be concerning for Red Bull. However, Pierre Wache has identified the areas where fortifications are required, which could help the Milton-Keynes-based outfit have another successful year.
“We have to build a decent car for different types of circuits. On circuits like Las Vegas, we were not good. We have to improve our car at least in slow corners and top speed,” the Red Bull Technical Director said as per Racing News 365.
Unlike 2023, where they won 21 out of the 22 races on the calendar, Red Bull was losing out on performance to McLaren on several circuits. Then, when Ferrari started to outpace them as well, the only aspect the Austrian team could rely on was Verstappen‘s individual brilliance.
The 27-year-old’s early-season charge helped him build a lead in the Drivers’ Championship, which ultimately proved unassailable. By finishing P5 at the Las Vegas GP last weekend, he did just enough to secure his fourth title in a row. However, if Verstappen faces the same amount of pressure next season as he did for most of 2024, defending the title will surely become much more difficult.
At the same time, the Dutchman’s teammate Sergio Perez has had a horrid 2024. Verstappen, with two races to go, leads him by 251 points. It can be argued that if Red Bull had a stronger second driver, they might have won the other title too.
Something needs to be done about Perez
Red Bull’s hierarchy is no longer shying away from expressing its disappointment with Perez’s performances. After the race in Las Vegas, where Perez finished P10, Helmut Marko pointed out that the Mexican driver’s poor results in 2024 meant the Red Bull team would miss out on bonuses due to the failure to win the Constructors’ Championship.
Red Bull already has replacements lined up in the pipeline—Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda. Moreover, only a handful of drivers on the grid would say no to an offer from Milton-Keynes’ base, thanks to their proven success in the recent past.
Should Red Bull promote Yuki for 2025? pic.twitter.com/O4M1EsGZyx
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 23, 2024
So, the path is clear for Red Bull, but it’s uncertain when an action will be taken. Marko has recently claimed that the decision on Perez will be taken after the season’s final race in Abu Dhabi.
Perez gave no response to Marko’s recent comments, but it seems even he now believes his exit is inevitable.
