BELGIUM: In a season that has seen Red Bull Racing assert its dominance, fears are growing among rival teams that their latest upgrade has handed them yet another advantage to exploit. Toto Wolff, the head of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, voiced his concerns as Red Bull’s performance surge shows no signs of abating.
Red Bull’s pursuit of excellence saw them introduce a substantial upgrade package at the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, featuring wider sidepods and revamped letterbox inlets.
This move came on the heels of significant upgrades from other teams, including Mercedes’ B-spec W14, Ferrari’s sidepod revisions, and McLaren’s major overhaul.
The Hungarian Grand Prix showcased Red Bull’s newfound power as Max Verstappen’s winning margin stretched back to the 30-second gap he established at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
The subsequent weekend in Belgium witnessed another commanding performance by Verstappen, who maintained a comfortable lead over his nearest challenger.
With this latest victory, Red Bull extended their winning streak to a remarkable 12 consecutive wins, eclipsing not only Mercedes’ previous record of 10 but also the longstanding record of 11 set by McLaren in 1988.
This unprecedented feat has propelled Red Bull 256 points ahead of Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship, while Verstappen has raced to a commanding 125-point lead over his teammate Sergio Perez in the Drivers’ standings.
This season, however, has lacked internal rivalry, leaving Mercedes to focus on bridging the gap to Red Bull’s performance advantage. Even more concerning for Red Bull’s rivals, Helmut Marko, a key figure in the team’s management, disclosed that the full potential of their latest upgrade has not yet been harnessed.
This revelation raises the stakes even higher, as Red Bull’s current level of performance may not yet represent its peak capabilities. As Red Bull’s winning momentum continues to build, Max Verstappen’s success story is also making waves.
Having secured his eighth consecutive grand prix win in Belgium, Verstappen is within striking distance of Sebastian Vettel’s 2013 record for the most successive wins and is just five wins away from setting a new record for the most wins in a single season.
With Red Bull’s relentless progress and the spectre of further untapped potential, Formula One’s landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. Rival teams are left with the daunting challenge of closing the gap and restoring balance to a championship that is rapidly being shaped by Red Bull’s unstoppable surge.
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