For the first time since the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix, Red Bull has lost two out of three consecutive races after last week’s race in Monaco. Max Verstappen has been the driver to beat since the start of the ground effect regulations. However, in Monaco, the Dutchman only managed to qualify his RB20 in P6, which is also where he finished the race. It was his worst result in almost two years after a P7 finish in Singapore ’22.
After winning all but one race in 2023, many in the F1 community believed that 2024 would be a similar season for Red Bull. However, rival teams McLaren and Ferrari with their major upgrade packages in Miami and Imola, have been able to close the gap to the Milton Keynes-based squad in 2024.
And that, according to former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, is a clear indication of the end of Red Bull’s long-standing dominance.
In a recent conversation on ‘The Red Flags Podcast,’ Steiner spoke about how the newly upgraded McLaren and Ferrari have made the 2024 championship a three-way battle. According to the former Haas boss, Red Bull no longer has an unprecedented advantage over its rivals and different tracks will hand over the advantage to different teams.
When asked by the host to comment on Red Bull’s advantage, Steiner noted,
“I don’t think like we called at beginning of the year, the Red Bull dominance, I think that is over now. They can be challenged everywhere, and they will have track where they are better than the other two [McLaren and Ferrari] like we had Ferrari better in Monaco than the other two you know.”
The Red Bull RB20 is designed to be very good aerodynamically, meaning it works best in situations where smooth airflow around the car is important. However, this becomes a disadvantage on bumpy tracks where it’s crucial to drive over kerbs to be fast.
An example is the track in Singapore, where Red Bull struggled a lot last year. Looking ahead, the next race is in Montreal, Canada. The Montreal track is also bumpy and requires good kerb-riding skills.
Max Verstappen expects a difficult Canadian Grand Prix after his Monaco woes
The Canadian Grand Prix this year is different because the track has a new surface. Max Verstappen thinks this change could bring some unexpected difficulties for Red Bull as they did in Monaco but hopes it might be a little better.
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is also known for its stop-start nature, with many heavy braking zones and chicanes between turns 2 and 10, similar to street tracks. These are the parts of the track where Red Bull might struggle the most.
After the Monaco Grand Prix, the reigning world champion told reporters, as noted by Sports Illustrated: “I mean, we have to wait and see. New surface as well, I think that might always give you some surprises. But it’s probably also not going to be our strongest weekend because of that. But probably a little bit better than here.”
As Ferrari and McLaren get better, there is a prospect for a close fight between the three teams. However, the European races coming up might be more favorable for Red Bull unless Ferrari and McLaren keep up the developmental battle.
