Tensions are rising within F1 as Ferrari is closing in on Red Bull, posing a threat to their championship trophy. Although currently in the lead, the Milton Keynes outfit’s dominance has ended. Ferrari and McLaren have both won races this season. Both Scuderia drivers ended up at the top of the podium. Lando Norris did as well, so Max Verstappen is not the only fast driver on the grid.

Although there was an enormous gap between the leading car and P2 last year, this time the situation looks completely different. McLaren and Ferrari are getting quicker by the round and Red Bull has yet to improve their performance. To discuss Red Bull’s plan of action, Paul Monaghan, the chief engineer, was invited for an exclusive interview by GPBlog. This is where he explained the team’s plans to keep the Prancing Horses behind.

Red Bull needs to focus on themselves like always

During the interview, Monoghan was asked on what Red Bull focuses on when they are under pressure from other teams. The interviewer asked, “It regularly talks about updates from other teams such as McLaren and Ferrari, which would put more pressure on Red Bull. Verstappen often says about this that this is not the case, because as a team you are busy with yourself anyway. Do you agree with that?”

To this, Monaghan explained how their own team is the only thing they have control over. Further breaking down his point, he replied, “It’s the only thing we can influence. I can’t influence what Ferrari do. I can’t influence what Mercedes do. We are in charge of our own destiny. If the car stops in a session, we can no longer learn from it. We might learn what’s broken on it or why it stopped. But we can’t necessarily develop it and evolve it. So then we pay the price.”

Breaking down how the team achieves their results he said, “So all you can do is work with what is within your control remit. And those are our two cars and our team. So if you don’t get the most out of it, we’ve left some performance behind. And if the others are better than us, then we have to look to ourselves. We can’t blame Ferrari for being fast or slow.”

This message serves as a warning that Ferrari needs to look at their own pace while entering Canada as that’s a track with fast straight, something Red Bull is good at tackling.

How is Ferrari expected to perform in the coming weekend?

Last race in Monaco, we saw where Ferrari excels in its slow speed turns and tight lanes. Canada will be different, as the track layout is nothing like Monaco. We will see many overtakes, unlike the 4 overtakes in the 78 laps at the last race.

Ferrari has some upgrades for the car and they work well at slow speeds, but will they work at higher speeds where there will be more battling? That is something we will need to see. So far, both drivers are confident with the car and are seeing hope in fighting for the championship. Sergio Perez has already been put behind and Leclerc is P2 in the drivers championship.

The Prancing Horses are catching up to Red Bull in terms of points too. Only 31 points separate them, a gap that can change over a single race. While it is difficult for Ferrari to take the lead in the next race, they can push closer to the leading team. They hope to use consistency to defeat the defending champions.

McLaren is another problem for Ferrari as they are a similar gap behind and we still have two-thirds of the season left. The season that felt like it would be Red Bull winning throughout the year has taken an unexpected turn. The situation of F1 is increasingly intense by the minute as we question who will win the next race every time the lights go out.

That being said, who do you think will win at Montreal? Will it be Red Bull, Ferrari or McLaren? Let us know your pick in the comments below.