Red Bull vs. McLaren: A Closer Look at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

The recent Emilia Romagna Grand Prix saw a significant shift in the balance of power between Red Bull and McLaren, with Max Verstappen comfortably defeating both drivers. While many expected Verstappen to struggle in this race due to his performance at the Miami Grand Prix, he proved everyone wrong by dominating the contest. But was it Red Bull’s overperformance or ‘s underperformance that led to this turnaround?

Upgrades and Aerodynamic Advantages

Both teams arrived at the first race of the European season with modest upgrades, but Red Bull seemed to have made a more significant impact. The team optimized its rear corner aerodynamics as well as its sidepods, compounding the effect of a redesigned floor that Verstappen had already tested in Miami. On the other hand, McLaren added downforce to the rear corner of their car and brought a circuit-specific rear wing.

It appears that Red Bull’s improvements helped them keep their tyre temperatures under control, which was a limiting factor in races like Miami and Bahrain where they were also beaten by McLaren. This allowed Verstappen to maintain his track position effectively, leading to his win at Imola.

High-Speed Corners and Tyre Management

Qualifying GPS data showed Verstappen slightly ahead of Piastri down the fast left-handers of Rivazza and on most straights, with McLaren generally enjoying better traction and acceleration out of corners. However, the end result was a pole for Piastri by a mere 0.034s, with Mercedes’ George Russell just a tenth behind as well.

The traditional track layout of Imola, featuring more high-speed corners, seemed to have favored Red Bull’s RB21 over McLaren‘s MCL39. While has shown prowess in hot conditions and superior rear tyre management on certain circuits, this advantage was absent in the warm Imola race.

The Future of the Race

Both teams will bring more upgrades to Barcelona in two weeks’ time, where a stricter FIA directive on front wing flexing forces the grid to tweak its designs. Red Bull’s tech chief Pierre Wache remains cautious about their chances, acknowledging that they were “destroyed” in Bahrain and Miami but competitive in Japan.

If Red Bull can maintain its current form and McLaren continues to struggle with high-speed corners, the 2025 championship might not be a walkover after all. However, both teams will need to continue pushing hard to stay ahead of the competition.