Mercedes’ George Russell is leading the race, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen closely behind, followed by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.
With McLaren and Ferrari emerging as serious F1 2024 threats to Red Bull, Mercedes technical director James Allison has a feeling that Red Bull’s recent RB20 upgrade proved to be a “downgrade.”
McLaren retaliated in Miami as Lando Norris secured his inaugural grand prix victory, driving the enhanced MCL38, after Red Bull’s Max Verstappen had triumphed in four out of the first five races in F1 2024. Following this, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc claimed the checkered flag in Monaco, leaving Verstappen at a modest sixth position.
Did Red Bull actually ‘downgrade’ their RB20?
Nestled between those races was the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, where Red Bull took their first major shot in the F1 2024 development war, but with McLaren and Ferrari nonetheless right on their tail, Red Bull may have weakened their RB20 with that upgrade attempt, Allison suspects.
He stated during an interview at the Canadian Grand Prix that once there is a sufficient variety of cornering speeds, the usefulness of the upgrades will be restored. However, it seems apparent that their upgrade actually resulted in a downgrade.
“Hopefully, that would truly disrupt their plans.”
When an upgrade fails to work, it becomes challenging as it erodes trust in our tools. As a result, we are forced to backtrack, wasting a significant amount of time. Time is a valuable ally, and losing it can be extremely detrimental.
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Red Bull’s weakness in navigating the bumps and kerbs of Monaco was brought to attention, however, despite Sergio Perez’s recent signing of a two-year deal with Red Bull, he remains uncertain about the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix being any less challenging. In his view, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is not an ideal track for Red Bull.
He expressed his hope that the ride issues experienced in Monaco would not be as severe.
“We have completed some tasks and conducted analysis. It is exciting to face a challenge similar to Monaco in several aspects right from the start. It will be an intriguing experience, and I believe we will have a slight advantage. Although it may not be our strongest track, I genuinely hope that we can compete at the top.”
“This track requires riding the kerbs, which is a major topic of discussion. I anticipate some difficulties in this aspect, but we have put in effort and gained understanding, so I am optimistic about making significant progress in that area.”
Mercedes, on the other hand, made significant improvements to their car during the Miami and Emilia Romagna races by introducing a two-part W15 upgrade. They further made adjustments for Canada. Allison described their progress as a transformation from being “extremely disappointing” to now being “close to being competitive” as they strive to catch up with Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren in the ongoing battle.
When asked if Mercedes finds excitement in the possibility of Red Bull being caught, Allison responded by saying, “In this game, people always seem to enjoy witnessing the misfortune of others.”
Mercedes sit P4 in the current F1 2024 Constructors’ Championship standings, as they look to whittle down an 88-point gap to McLaren a position ahead.
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