Consistency is the key to championship titles in F1. Over the years various teams and their drivers have stood up on the highest ranks thanks to this integral trait of the sport. Red Bull is one such team. In the last three years, they’ve shifted the sport’s epicenter from Mercedes to themselves. However, 2024 is turning out to be a difficult year. Not just for their ever-struggling Sergio Perez, but the ‘star boy’ Max Verstappen, seems unhappy with his recent race results. From the Monaco GP onwards, Red Bull struggled, especially Sergio Perez.

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen consistently finished in the top 10, winning the Canadian and Spanish GPs. In the Austrian GP, a collision led to George Russell’s win, with Verstappen finishing P5 and Lando Norris DNFing. Verstappen expressed his frustration: “We are too slow, we won’t win the World Championship like this…” However, the team’s advisor has a say on this. In a recent interview, Dr. Helmut Marko explained how Red Bull is coping up with the setbacks. He also examined Verstappen’s disappointment and gave his opinions.

Helmut Marko assesses Red Bull’s current situation sharing his take on Max Verstappen’s ‘too slow’ statement

While speaking with the Austrian publication OE24, Helmut Marko shared his thoughts on Max Verstappen’s comment. The interviewer pointed out that Dutchman isn’t particularly relaxed about the current situation. And Marko replied: “Max wants to win, of course, and that’s understandable. Although races like this are not bad for the sporting image of Formula 1.” He implies that Max wants to win races and clinch his 4th World Champion title. However, things don’t always work out the way one wants, and this drop in performance won’t be bad for Red Bull or Verstappen’s sporting image. “Otherwise it [race/F1] would actually be boring,” the 81-year-old added.

Helmut Marko acknowledged Verstappen’s concerns after Russell’s win in Spielberg, promising, “We’ll strike back in Silverstone!” However, Verstappen only finished P2 there. When asked if he would say the same for Budapest, Marko replied, “It won’t be that easy. We didn’t have the fastest car in Silverstone. We have one problem if not several. But as long as we extend our lead in every race, it’ll be fine.” This shows Marko’s awareness of the car’s issues and his focus on securing points and maintaining the championship lead.

The competition is getting tougher with every race, and Red Bull must rev up! Verstappen has to win a few more races to secure his championship. At the same time, Sergio Perez has to contribute to the team’s points pool. But before that, a quick analysis of Red Bull’s performance so far in the season is required.

A comparative study on Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez’s performance in the ongoing F1 season

At the halfway mark of the F1 season, Max Verstappen leads the Driver Standings with 255 points, while Sergio Perez has dropped to 6th with 118 points. Red Bull started strong, with both drivers dominating the first two races. Verstappen had back-to-back wins, and Perez secured consecutive podiums. However, Verstappen’s streak ended in Australia due to rear brake issues, where Perez finished P5.

Max Verstappen returned with a win at the Japanese GP, and Sergio Perez secured third place. They continued their success at the Chinese GP, but then Red Bull’s performance dropped. Verstappen remained strong in races like Imola, Canada, and Spain, but Perez’s performance plummeted, dropping him from #2 to #6 in the Drivers’ Table. Both drivers frequently complained about issues, like understeering, and oversteering. Sometimes they faced excessive bouncing and brake problems.

Overall, Red Bull is going through a tough phase in F1. Some have speculated this to be the direct effect of the internal dispute of the team. Red Bull seems to be losing their luster as they continue to become a midfield team. With strong competition from McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari; Christian Horner’s team has to gear up. Next stop – the Hungaroring. Believed to be Red Bull’s domain of dominance, all eyes would be on them. At this crucial stage of the competition, one mistake or miss could cost them their contendership.

Will Red Bull make their comeback at the Hungarian GP next week? What do you think? Share in the comments.