Red Bull reasserted their authority at the top of the Formula 1 standings last weekend as Max Verstappen won the Canadian Grand Prix. It was a particularly significant win given that the RB20 didn’t seem to be the fastest car in Montreal.
Mercedes driver George Russell had beaten Verstappen to pole position on Saturday. While the Dutchman set exactly the same lap time, Russell did so earlier and on older tyres.
In the chaotic wet/dry race, both Russell and Lando Norris spurned opportunities to win. The former made multiple errors on track, while the latter missed a split-second chance to pit under the first safety car and dropped from first to third.
Verstappen himself wasn’t infallible either. In an exceedingly rare sight, he was overtaken on track as Norris got by into the final chicane with the aid of DRS on lap 20.
But his class shone through in the end as he scored his sixth victory in nine races this season. In doing so, he quickly shut down any talk of a fight for the drivers’ title by extending his lead to 56 points.
Charles Leclerc had closed to within 31 after his victory in Monaco, but his retirement allowed Verstappen to increase his cushion handily. With Ferrari suffering a double DNF, Red Bull also moved clear in the constructors’, though McLaren did inch closer in third.
Red Bull unhappy with McLaren front wing
Speaking on the Formel Schmidt podcast, Auto Motor und Sport journalist Michael Schmidt shed light on some tension between the top teams behind the scenes. Red Bull have concerns about their rivals’ front wings, particularly that of McLaren.
Flexible wings are outlawed under the regulations. While each of the front-runners have passed the FIA’s checks in this regard, Christian Horner and co. have spotted grounds for complaint.
McLaren and Ferrari appear to have wiped out Red Bull’s healthy advantage with major upgrade packages. And Mercedes entered the fray in Canada with new wings on both cars.
“I think maybe we should mention one more thing briefly – the front wing,” Schmidt said. “It plays a really big role, you have to say it.
“Since Imola, there have been quite heated discussions in the paddock about the front wing being pushed by Red Bull. They claim that the McLaren [front wing] in particular bends significantly too much, even with the Ferrari. Now Mercedes have followed suit with the bending.”
Helmut Marko says Red Bull still have one ‘big advantage’ over McLaren and Ferrari
You have to go back to round five in China in April for the last time Red Bull enjoyed a clear advantage at the front of the field. Norris won in Miami, and Verstappen crossed the line just 0.7 seconds ahead of him at Imola.
The Bulls suffered one of their poorest weekends in recent years in Monaco, with the world champion forced to settle for sixth. And then, in Montreal, they were partly reliant on their competitors’ blunders to take victory.
F1 is now headed to a series of more conventional circuits prior to the summer break, and this may play into Verstappen’s hands. But the McLaren in particular seems to be a versatile car that can compete every weekend.
Helmut Marko says ‘classic’ venues like Barcelona, Spielberg and Silverstone will suit Red Bull more than the ‘atypical’ tracks F1 has visited recently. They will, however, need to see an improvement from Sergio Perez to avoid coming under pressure in the constructors’.
Perez has scored just four points in the last three races and he suffered a second straight DNF in Canada. Martin Brundle simply said ‘ouch’ as he reflected on the Mexican’s ‘dismal’ weekend, and he’ll be carrying a three-place grid penalty into Spain too.
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