Coming into the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, there were high hopes for Red Bull. With it being the team’s home race, the goal was for Max Verstappen to notch a podium finish. Due to an overambitious move on the opening lap by Kimi Antonelli, a lock-up caused him to slide into the Dutch driver, resulting in DNFs for both.
McLaren’s resounding 1-2 puts Verstappen 61 points behind Oscar Piastri, making a challenge for a fifth straight world championship almost non-existent. Given Red Bull's lack of pace to win at several tracks, it appears the team have acknowledged that their hopes of a title are now gone.
This would be the first season since 2020 in which Red Bull do not win the driver or constructor championship. The loss of performance could direct the team to potentially experiment with development, especially since P3 in the constructor standings is even becoming increasingly difficult to reach.
A more drivable second car?
Red Bull’s results from their second driver over the last season have been quite horrid, especially in comparison to Verstappen. While not confirmed, the belief is that Red Bull’s car is far more suited to the four-time world champion than his teammate. We have seen Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda all struggle immensely.
Having only one driver contribute to the team’s total points has been costing Red Bull, as they finished third instead of first in last year's standings despite Verstappen winning another title. Making the car easier to drive will only help the team next season regardless of who is in their driver lineup.
Red Bull could look to pursue some developments to the liking of Tsunoda moving forward, allowing him to score points more regularly. Christian Horner has to be willing to let Verstappen and the team's second driver have their own development paths. However, if that does not alleviate the issue, it may be rooted far deeper within the basic concept of the car.
This could come down to Pierre Waché choosing to make some minor changes for Red Bull’s future. Verstappen will not be around forever, and it may help so that Red Bull do not eventually have two drivers consistently missing out on the points. Frankly, a Verstappen-less Red Bull would be competing with the likes of Sauber, Aston Martin, and Haas in the championship right now.
The second half of the season will present a unique opportunity in which Red Bull can just maintain their position while shifting focus to next season. There is no say on how the Red Bull engine will compare to Mercedes, and the team will need every point possible in what can easily become a tight championship.