Red Bull’s sister team, RB, is facing a challenging F1 season, with their team principal Laurent Mekies expressing concerns about the significant performance gap to the top five teams. Despite a points finish in Australia, Mekies predicts a tough fight to maintain their position in the first half of the season, with hopes of improvements later in the year.
Between the lines
- RB acknowledges a substantial performance gap to F1’s leading teams, expecting it to persist for at least half the season.
- Team principal Laurent Mekies emphasizes the importance of updates later in the year to close in on the top five.
- Yuki Tsunoda’s eighth place in Australia is a positive sign, but maintaining sixth in the standings is anticipated to be a challenge.
- Mekies highlights the need to capitalize on every opportunity, with qualifying pace showing potential despite a tight margin.
Go deeper
The F1 grid has displayed a clear divide in the early races, with Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, and Aston Martin pulling away from the pack. RB, currently in sixth place, has shown flashes of brilliance, notably with Tsunoda’s performance at the Australian Grand Prix. However, Mekies is cautious, noting that even out-qualifying several top drivers doesn’t guarantee a secure spot in the standings.
RB’s strategy for the season is two-pronged: focus on immediate race execution and prepare for a development race as the year progresses. Mekies admits that the updates planned for later in the season are crucial for RB to stay competitive. The team is on a tightrope, with every point being precious and the margins for error razor-thin.
Despite the challenges, there’s a silver lining in the team’s qualifying pace, which has consistently led the bottom half of the grid. This indicates that RB has the potential to disrupt the midfield battle, provided they can deliver flawless weekends. The team’s performance in qualifying suggests that they can lead the rest of the pack, but converting this into points on race day is where the real challenge lies.
Looking ahead, RB is preparing for the Japanese Grand Prix with a small update, aware that their rivals will also be bringing improvements. The development race is on, and Mekies knows that RB must perfect every aspect of their race weekends to secure points and possibly challenge the top five as the season unfolds.
In summary, while RB’s current position is a testament to their potential, the road ahead is steep. The team’s ability to bridge the gap to the top five will depend on their development trajectory and their capacity to exploit every opportunity that comes their way. The fight in the midfield is set to be a thrilling spectacle for fans and a demanding test for RB.