Renault F1 Explain Why Red Bull Is Always Playing Catchup to Mercedes

The Mercedes F1 team has been very dominant in Formula One, as per usual. The German outfit’s nearest challenger is the Aston Martin Red Bull team. However, the Austrian team has mostly been playing catch up to Mercedes.

In light of that, Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul suggested that the problem is that the team is independent from the engine supplier. Apparently, the outfit is well-known for having sluggish starts to their campaign. However, they soon pick up the pace, as the season progresses, but it is usually too late to catch Mercedes.

Red Bull confessed that they are stumped by their inability to start the season strongly. However, Cyril Abiteboul has a theory that, since the outfit is not a full works operation, it is hurting their ability to truly challenger Mercedes.

Speaking ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, Abiteboul said, “I think Red Bull is a fantastic team but in my opinion Red Bull has missed a trick of modern Formula 1, where you can’t have a chassis organisation and an engine organisation that are so distinct.”

Why did the Renault-Red Bull relationship fail?

According to the Frenchman, that was one of the reasons why the relationship broke down. He noted that the Austrian team and Renault could not achieve it together, and observed that they can’t seem to do it with Honda either.

Interestingly, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff echoed Abiteboul’s views on the need for everything to work harmoniously. He knows that Red Bull possesses the resources to compete with Mercedes and give them a good fight.

Wolff confessed that he missed the days when Red Bull partnered Renault and won four consecutive championships. He concluded, “As Cyril said, it’s about putting all things together. Every parameter is needed in order to get there. And it is not only the engine and chassis relationship that needs to be strong. It’s also about putting all components, all these marginal gains together, in order to perform.”