As the 2024 Formula 1 season unfolds, with only a fraction completed of its longest calendar to date, the foregone conclusion that Red Bull, spearheaded by Max Verstappen, is on a direct path to clinching yet another championship, has become palpable.
Exiting Suzuka, Toto Wolff of Mercedes made it clear that not only is Verstappen’s triumph in securing his fourth consecutive driver’s championship a certainty for 2024, but also hinted at a long wait until 2026 for competitors to stand a genuine chance against him.
“In 2026 there will be a big restart,” Wolff is reported to have stated, as per Austrian media, “and then there will be a realistic chance for all other teams to beat Red Bull. But before that there is a whole season and three quarters – and I don’t just want to suffer throughout that.”
Despite this, Wolff concedes that for the current season, Mercedes and Ferrari are realistically vying for the runner-up spot. “I think Ferrari can get even closer to Red Bull and we can get even closer to Ferrari,” the Mercedes chief opined. “We’re doing everything we can to put on a better show and challenge them, and we will do that. But that (second place) is a much more realistic goal for us than being able to keep up with Max.”
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, amid a wave of form in 2024 and eyeing a move for the following season, acknowledges the uphill battle in narrowing the distance to Red Bull. “I think they are definitely going to have an advantage in the first third of the season until we bring one or two upgrades that makes us fight them more consistently,” Sainz remarked. “But by that time maybe it’s a bit too late with the advantage that they might have in the championship. I don’t see Red Bull making mistakes like they did in Australia very often.”
On the other hand, Red Bull’s principal advisor, Dr Helmut Marko, is quick to dismiss premature accolades from competitors. “Please stop with that (talk),” he implored an Austrian publication. “We’ve only done four races – there are 20 to go. In Melbourne we saw how quickly everything can change. Ferrari is strong and reliable. We can’t write them off yet.”
Yet, Marko concedes that beyond Red Bull’s inherent advantages, Verstappen’s current form makes him a formidable opponent to beat. Reflecting on Wolff’s early praises for a fourth Verstappen title, Marko acknowledged, “That was always my words – we have a good car, but then Max makes the difference on top of that. At Suzuka, everything was already clear, but then Max drove that unbelievable fastest lap on worn tyres – not for fun and games, but to get his message across. ‘Hello, you others are only here to come second’,” the 80-year-old stated.
GMM
