Red Bull’s dominance from 2023 seems to be fading as they face a new challenge – a disconnect between their simulator data and on-track performance. This comes after a race in Monaco where the car struggled on kerbs, leading to frustration.
“The problem starts in the simulator, which signalled that the car was going well over the kerbs,” said Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, to Speedweek. “Put simply, this means that the simulator and reality do not correlate.”
This lack of correlation is a growing trend in F1 this year, with Mercedes also struggling to translate factory data into real-world lap times.
Former F1 driver Christijan Albers took a jab at Red Bull’s situation on the De Telegraaf podcast. “They are in Mercedes’ slipstream!” Albers joked. “They never know where it comes from,” referring to Mercedes’ own struggles.
Adding to the pressure, McLaren and Ferrari have been catching up with strong in-season upgrades. Albers believes this is turning into a fierce development war.
“The McLaren looks a lot like the Red Bull, but mechanically they are two very different cars,” Albers explained. “The McLaren can smash over the kerbs, and so can the Ferrari, but Red Bull cannot achieve that.”
This weakness could significantly impact Red Bull, especially against McLaren.
“Now it’s all about timing,” Albers said. “When will the teams release the next upgrades? That will now also play a role.”
While Red Bull still leads the championship standings, they’ve already lost three races this season compared to just one in all of 2023. The upcoming Canadian Grand Prix with its high kerbs could be another test for Red Bull’s ability to adapt.