The Red Bulls' misfortune doesn't necessitate hitting rock bottom.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix turns out to be a victory for McLaren and a setback for Red Bull. Reigning champion Max Verstappen has a rough time. And there's not much positivity in sight for the next race weekend. It might get even more challenging.
Initially, the star performer was supposed to take a step back. McLaren declared before the journey to Baku that Oscar Piastri would now assist title contender Lando Norris. This move makes sense, considering Norris has a better chance of catching Verstappen - but Piastri keeps proving week after week that he's not content with playing second fiddle. In the last seven races, no one has performed as strongly as the Australian, who secured his second win with an impressive move against Charles Leclerc on Sunday. If Piastri keeps performing this well, enforcing McLaren's planned team order will be quite challenging.
But that's a luxury problem for the team of the moment, which has already achieved more than expected. Just a few months ago, McLaren was struggling at the back, but in the first part of the year, the racing team became the fourth force - and in Baku, they overtook Red Bull at the top of the constructors' standings. "We are the top team in Formula 1, it feels good to say that," said Lando Norris, who had every reason to be in high spirits despite missing out on a podium finish. Anyone who manages to climb from 15th place to 4th and even overtakes the world champion at the end, is driving a championship-contending car. Norris still has a significant gap to make up on Verstappen, with seven races and three sprints remaining - the big victory is still a possibility, but regular wins are now needed. The next track in Singapore (22 September) should suit the team well, McLaren is under pressure.
Red Bull also has issues and little hope. The world champions thought they had turned a corner after their disappointing start in September at Monza - but in Baku, they scored fewer points. The main reasons were Red Bull's inability to understand its car, so no suitable setup was found for Verstappen. "The car was like a go-kart, one wheel was always in the air in the slow corners," said the Dutchman after his fifth-place finish. And the outlook for the next Sunday didn't give him any hope: "I don't think Singapore will be our best race." No, said the once invincible Dutchman, this weekend in Baku "was no fun".
The other reason for Red Bull's hardships is Sergio Perez. For months, he's been significantly inferior to Verstappen in the team competition, while Verstappen dominated the entire competition. However, this gap has been closing in the past few weeks, and in Baku, Perez could finally say: "Our car is complicated, even Max is feeling it now." Perez handled the street circuit much better, was even in contention for the podium - but in the end, he became the tragic hero once again. His crash with Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari cost him and the team valuable points, and he confirmed the impression: Red Bull cannot rely on two drivers in the fight for its high goals.
It could still get worse...
Ralf Schumacher put forth a theory on Sunday evening: "I believe Red Bull will at most finish third in the Constructors' Championship," said the Sky expert. They now trail McLaren by 20 points and have only a 31-point lead over Ferrari. Ferrari has quietly moved up, but the trend is clear. Leclerc and Sainz have gained over 30 points in the three races since the summer break, and Ferrari's prospects for success in Singapore appear greater than those of Red Bull.
Despite Red Bull's efforts to improve after their struggles at Monza, they continued to underperform in Baku, scoring fewer points than expected. Red Bull Racing's Red Bull Racing faced challenges in setting up their car for Max Verstappen, leading to a fifth-place finish for the reigning champion. Meanwhile, McLaren overtook Red Bull in the constructors' standings, with Lando Norris declaring that they were now the top team in Formula 1.
