While Red Bull might have had the upper hand in the first three races of the 2021 Formula 1 season, but after losing to Mercedes’ reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, Max Verstappen wants a faster car.
As his victory at Imola fades into memory, Verstappen received a reality check on Sunday when he was out-raced and out-strategised by Hamilton and Mercedes.
Perhaps on the soft Pirelli red band tyres, they were arguably equal if not a tad better than the Mercs but on the yellow band mediums, which were crucial to winning the race at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Mercedes appeared better, at least in the hands of the seven-time F1 World Champion.
So much so that Verstappen did not mince his words when asked what it would take now to stop Hamilton from claiming an eighth title, he replied: “Just need a faster car, it’s very simple. Then you don’t need to get into a situation like that. That’s what we have to focus on.”
After the defeat by Red Bull and their ace at Imola, Mercedes regrouped, reengineered and returned with a W12 that was a far better package (apparently) than they started the year with. They have bounced back as expected of the mightiest team in the sport’s history.
After finishing the race in second, albeit 25 seconds behind Hamilton, Verstappen said: “In a way I could see it coming. Already at the end with the softs he was faster and when we put on the mediums he had a lot more pace, he could just stay within one second, so there was not much we could have done.
“They went for another stop and then I knew it was over. I was already struggling with the tyres and he was just getting closer and closer, so I was a bit of a sitting duck,” explained the Dutch driver.
Red Bull and Honda will have to regroup and use the next ten days before Monaco to eke something more out of their package because their ace driver is in his best form ever, rising to the duel with Hamilton but without the proper weapons, it will be Spain on repeat for the rest of the season, namely Max chasing black cars to no avail.
Team boss Christian Horner admitted after the defeat: “We couldn’t have done anything differently today, Lewis and Mercedes were quicker than us and able to follow Max so closely without hurting their tyres.
“We were able to hold track position but when the field opens up to the degree it did behind, Lewis gains a free pit stop which leaves you in the horrible position as race leader trying to brave it out to the end instead of sacrificing track position,” added Horner.
What the Bulls need to do differently is use the time ahead of Monaco to extract more performance from the RB16B, while Sergio Perez has to raise his game and be the wingman he is hired to be, perhaps take a leaf from Valtteri Bottas and accept his role in the team and take it from there.
If anything was massively apparent in Barcelona this weekend, is that Perez is not in Verstappen’s league on any level; ditto Bottas and Hamilton. Therefore the number two pair will; have to play second fiddle whether they like it or not or until they can beat their teammates consistently which is unlikely to happen.
Right now, Perez is supposed to be Verstappen’s muscle but the veteran is still feeling his way around the place, but that’s not good enough at this level. He needs to be shadowing the #33 car and providing the backup and cover he was hired to bring to the party.
Until that happens (plus they find some horsepower lying around at Milton Keynes!) it’s always going to be Max tag-teamed by the Mercs.
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