Red Bull Racing has kicked off the 2024 F1 Season with a dominant 1-2 win in the Bahrain Grand Prix, but the Austrian Formula 1 team has been making many headlines this week, and they aren't for good reasons.
The race winner Max Verstappen had enjoyment of his spectacular showing in Bahrain, but a day later his father, Jos Verstappen, revealed some dysfunction within the seemingly flawless Red Bull team.
Red Bull's Dominance Dying Down
After the season opener in Bahrain this weekend, we were all left with what we expected but hoped to not be the case. Red Bull, more specifically Max Verstappen, showed forth a continuation of their dominant 2023 season with a 1-2 victory.
Although Verstappen finished the race 22 seconds ahead of teammate Sergio Perez, we can see some cracks in the Austrian team. Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz finished an impressive race less than three seconds behind Perez, showing the gap to Red Bull may not be as large as we anticipated.
The Red Bull drivers themselves have stayed pessimistic even though they know their car is well beyond the standard of a winning car. Ferrari and Mercedes may be closer to them than we think. Bahrain is a track that suits the RB20 well and minus a few technical issues between the Ferrari and Mercedes cars, the fight and gap would've been much closer.
It will be fun to watch in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, given there are no mechanical issues, how the top of the middle pack teams fare against the Red Bulls. Qualifying looks like it will stay close, similar to last year, and the DRS of the Red Bulls don't seem to be as powerful as the year prior. We will need to see how the RB20 is when fighting amongst the rest of the grid instead of clean air on race day.
Related Article: Red Bull Issues Statement After Max Verstappen's Dad Jos Publicly Blasts Christian Horner
Disturbing the Red Bull
Jos Verstappen's discomfort in the team operations comes from the recent allegations surfacing around Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner. The elder Verstappen fears that a scandal such as this one can implode the team from within.
"The team is in danger of being torn apart," Jos Verstappen said to the Daily Mail.
"It can't go on the way it is. It will explode. He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems."
While his son tries to put the blinders on and focus on the 2024 F1 season, Jos Verstappen is looking out for his son's career in the long term as it is rumored that he threatens to have Max leave the team.
We've gotten these reports from anonymously leaked heated exchanges between Horner and Max's father. This altercation ultimately has led to Jos Verstappen likely not being in attendance for Red Bull at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this coming weekend.
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