The title-chasing "beast" continues to elude Verstappen's grasp in the World Championship battle.
The illumination at Red Bull is gradually dimming as they teeter on the edge of squandering their secure F1 world titles. The squad that reigned supreme last year is currently on the brink of botching the next chance at the championship title.
Verstappen's innate talent is crippled
"Last year, we had an outstanding vehicle, the most powerful car ever, and we've essentially transformed it into a beast," grumbled Max Verstappen following his sixth-place finish at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. The predicament at Red Bull intensifies as they struggle to secure victories for six consecutive races, and the gap between them and McLaren and Ferrari continues to expand. "Everything was too slow," expressed the three-time Formula 1 world champion. The pitfalls were numerous: "Strategies weren't working, our speed was lacking, and the pit stops were underwhelming as well," he concluded.
The dominance is no more. Red Bull, once celebrated for headlines about team principal Christian Horner and an internal power struggle at the start of the season, now poses a challenge for Formula 1 according to Verstappen. "If we don't make any changes to the car, it won't look good until the end of the season," he predicted, advocating for swift action before the next race in Azerbaijan in two weeks.
The elite engineers have abandoned ship, and the car no longer reigns supreme. Even a prodigal talent like Verstappen can't showcase his exceptional abilities under these circumstances. Possible remedies? The team is presently attempting to find them. A definitive plan? None in sight. Red Bull could be overtaken by McLaren in the constructors' championship at the upcoming race in Azerbaijan, and Ferrari may not be far behind. And even Verstappen's fourth driver's title, despite a seemingly insurmountable 62-point lead versus Lando Norris, seems vulnerable. "The situation is tough - because they don't comprehend," commented former world champion and Sky expert Nico Rosberg. "They're just heading backward as teams like McLaren are flourishing. It's really bewildering - you wouldn't have believed it after the initial races that Red Bull could still drop out of both championships."
McLaren refrains from team orders - and points
However, McLaren's team leadership doesn't appear particularly committed to securing the driver's title. In Monza, the command center yet again abstained from ordering a position swap between fourth-placed Oscar Piastri and Verstappen's closest contender, Lando Norris, who finished in second and third place. This is commendable and relatively uncommon in today's world, but it may hinder Norris's quest for the title. With two swap maneuvers in Budapest, where Piastri celebrated his first Grand Prix victory, and in Monza, he would be ten points closer to Verstappen - if that's crucial at the season's end...
Team bosses Zak Brown and Andrea Stella consistently prioritize the team's outcomes. Their approach also includes allowing both drivers to compete against each other as long as they don't create any problems for the team's success. So far, this has been effective, but it almost resulted in disaster in Monza: Norris wasn't pleased with Piastri's tenacious overtaking move on the initial lap, and later, he admitted that a collision was narrowly averted by his retreat: "We could have both gone flying off the curve if I had braked a moment sooner." Such fierce rivalries frequently begin in Formula 1.
Ferrari emerges triumphant as the lone wolf
The squad that earned the spotlight during the race was Ferrari, who clinched a home victory in a survival-of-the-fittest scenario. It's almost comical that the Maranello-based team, notorious for their haphazard decisions and unnecessary mistakes, managed to secure their third victory of the season through a daring one-stop strategy. Suddenly, the fantasy of a first team championship in sixteen years appears plausible once again, even though winner Charles Leclerc cautioned that past races had been discouraging, and Ferrari won't be a championship contender every week.
Mercedes provided valuable support during the day. Lewis Hamilton concluded his final Italian Grand Prix stint with the team before moving on to Ferrari next year. However, Mercedes garnered attention on Friday and Saturday. First, gifted youngster Andrea Kimi Antonelli crashed spectacularly in his maiden free practice session, and the following day, team boss Toto Wolff expressed his confidence in him by naming him as Hamilton's replacement in 2025. Wolff is taking a chance, but his bold move has brought joy to his heart and benefits to Formula 1, with a promising newcomer who many believe has the potential to become a future world champion.
Despite Red Bull's struggles, Ferrari managed to shine at the Italian Grand Prix, securing a home victory. Max Verstappen and Red Bull, however, continue to face challenges, with Ferrari's performance bringing the prospect of a first team championship in sixteen years closer.
