Analyzing Red Bull’s Performance Post-Imola Win

Max Verstappen’s shocking victory at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix has left the F1 community questioning whether Red Bull’s improvements are consistent or track-specific. The question now is, can Red Bull challenge McLaren regularly, or was unusually slow in Italy?

Red Bull’s Improvements at High-Speed Tracks

Red Bull claims they were not affected by the FIA’s technical directives ahead of the Emilia-Romagna GP. Verstappen remains cautious, pointing out that Red Bull has been competitive on tracks with many high-speed corners but struggled on circuits where low-speed performance is crucial.

Monaco, the ultimate low-speed track, presents a challenge for Red Bull due to their historically weak kerb-riding and handling over bumps. The team anticipates a weekend of damage control, although rain in qualifying could work in Verstappen’s favor. Barcelona will be the real test on a more representative track.

Lando Norris’ Struggles

McLaren driver Lando Norris is underperforming this season, and he admits it. Despite being just 11 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri, Norris needs to improve his qualifying performance. His one-lap pace has let him down this year, and he’s working on finding solutions.

Yuki Tsunoda Under Pressure

Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda urgently needs to deliver a standout performance. After five races since leaving Racing Bulls, Tsunoda hasn’t shown his potential for the Milton Keynes-based squad. He crashed in Q1 during qualifying for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and finished tenth on Sunday in Imola.

Qualifying has been Tsunoda’s biggest weakness since moving to the RB21, with an average deficit of 0.864s to Max Verstappen and just two top-10 starts. Monaco offers a chance for redemption as Tsunoda has improved in qualifying every year since his first outing in the principality.

Ferrari’s Qualifying Woes

Ferrari‘s qualifying weakness was masked by a favorable race scenario in Imola, but it may not work in Monaco. This weekend brings a new tyre regulation, adding another variable. Only those who qualify well on Saturday have a real shot on Sunday, and if doesn’t solve their qualifying issues, it will show in the results.

If Ferrari‘s planned updates for Barcelona also fall short, they could find themselves in a technical and sporting crisis – just as Lewis Hamilton suggested when he said the rest of the season could be “painful” for .

Two-Stop Rule at Monaco

The first-ever championship race with two mandatory tyre changes will take place at Monaco, aiming to spice up Sunday’s show. However, there are more questions than answers regarding how it will play out, such as whether teams will explore different strategies or if it will reduce the importance of qualifying.

Only time will tell if this change will make the race better, but for now, there are more questions than answers.