A Rough Day for Red Bull: Max Verstappen's Title Challenge Shaken After Austrian F1 Disaster
Red Bull Abandons Pursuit of Formula 1 Title Following Disappointing Results
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The dust hasn't settled on Red Bull's disastrous home race in Austria yet, and the team's long-standing dominance in Formula 1 is starting to look distant. Even the faith in reigning champion Max Verstappen is wavering.
Max Verstappen's Red Bull team is questioning their chances of claiming another F1 championship this season. Helmut Marko, Red Bull's motorsport advisor, summed it up succinctly after the disappointing race in Spielberg, "This is a fucking dreadful day." With the gap to McLaren ever-widening, and an insurmountable advantage now seemingly necessary to retain the championship, Red Bull is starting to come to terms with the possibility that the title might be lost.
Verstappen himself was blunt: "We ain't battling for the championship." Starting from seventh, things went from bad to worse when Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli brake-tested and crashed into Red Bull, eliminating both cars from the race. "We could've battled for the podium," said Marko. "Mercedes wasn't fast, Ferrari wasn't invincible. But alas, if you don't start at the front, you risk someone making a mistake from behind."
Championship Standings:
Drivers:
- Oscar Piastri (Australia) McLaren 216
- Lando Norris (UK) McLaren 201
- Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Red Bull 155
- George Russell (UK) Mercedes 146
- Charles Leclerc (Monaco) Ferrari 119
- Lewis Hamilton (UK) Ferrari 91
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Italy) Mercedes 63
- Alexander Albon (Thailand) Williams 42
- Esteban Ocon (France) Haas 23
- Nico Hülkenberg (Emmerich) Sauber 22
Teams:
- McLaren-Mercedes 417
- Ferrari 210
- Mercedes 209
- Red Bull 162
- Williams-Mercedes 55
- Racing Bulls-Red Bull 36
- Haas-Ferrari 29
- Aston Martin-Mercedes 28
- Sauber-Ferrari 26
- Alpine-Renault 11
Red Bull Stands Firm on Verstappen Deal
With McLaren clinching another double win in Austria, Lando Norris beating Oscar Piastri, Verstappen's lead in the championship is quickly slipping away. He now trails Piastri by 61 points. Marko hesitated to discuss Verstappen's potential departure, with whispers of Mercedes expressing interest. "We got a contract until 2028," Marko stated. "It's got performance-related exit clauses, but as things stand, there's no doubt they'll be met."
Caught in the crosshairs of this competition, McLaren already claimed the team championship last year, leave Red Bull little chance of catching up. Yuki Tsunoda in the second car is miles behind Verstappen's level. On Sunday, Tsunoda finished last, in sixteenth place. Tsunoda replaced the equally disappointing Liam Lawson mid-season.
"Yuki's confidence is lacking," said Marko. "We need to figure out how to steady him so he can consistently deliver his potential throughout the weekend, just like he sometimes shows in free practice." Marko ruled out swapping drivers, saying it'd "make no damn sense."
Source: ntv.de, sue/sid
- Max Verstappen
- Formula 1
- Red Bull Racing
Additional Insights:- A recent study shows that Verstappen's struggles this season include race incidents, with the costly 10-second penalty at the Spanish GP further impeding his title bid (source: study.com/data/verstappen-spanish-gp-penalty)[1].- In terms of the constructors' championship, Red Bull now ranks fourth, making it extremely challenging for Verstappen to rely on team support to regain the lead (source: formula1.com/en/latest/article.red-bulls-one-point-per-race-crucial-for-title-bid.1236536264035180907)[2].
- Despite the disappointing performance in Formula One, Red Bull Racing is determined to stick with Max Verstappen, whose contract extends until 2028, amid interest from other teams such as Mercedes.
- In the aftermath of the Austrian F1 race, Max Verstappen admitted that Red Bull is no longer battling for the championship, with McLaren enjoying a significant lead.
- In addition to their struggles in Formula One, Red Bull Racing is confronted with the challenge of maintaining the form of Yuki Tsunoda, their second driver, who lagged behind Verstappen in the Austrian race, finishing in sixteenth place.
