18/06/2024
NEWS STORY
Despite increasing convergence, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes that Red Bull still has the upper hand.
This time last year, Red Bull had won all nine opening races and the two Sprints. This year, as we head into Round 10, not only has it been beaten three times, its last couple of wins were under intense pressure from its rivals.
While Christian Horner points to convergence, insisting that this was always going to be the case as the sport enters the third season since the 2022 rules overhaul, Mercedes technical director, James Allison has suggested that the Austrian outfit went the wrong way with its recent upgrade, a claim the Red Bull boss has vehemently denied.
Ignoring the opportunity to tell Horner to 'fix his effing car', Wolff believes that while the "gap is shrinking", Red Bull remains the benchmark.
"The last few races were more difficult for them," he told Sky Sports. "I think everybody has been taking good steps forward.
"There were two or three teams that could have potentially won the race, maybe us not quite," he added, referring to the recent race in Montreal. "I don't know whether they've taken a step backward. The most important thing is the gap is shrinking.
"Barcelona will be interesting, whether they are strong there," he continued, the lack of kerbs likely to suit the RB20. "And Austria is their territory.
"McLaren was strong there last year when they had their comeback," he added. "That's never a good one for us.
"You can't discount Max and the Red Bulls," he insisted, "they are still the benchmark, they are right up there. But McLaren has made huge steps, and don't forget Ferrari, they were not visible in Canada, but in Monaco they were the benchmark. That's four teams that are competitive now."
Asked if the Silver Arrows improved form in Canada was a sign of a genuine step forward or track related, he said: "I hope it is not track-related. Montreal is the outlier with that mid-range corner speed and change of directions.
"Overall, the drivers said the car is now in a space that they can push it, they have more confidence and everything comes much easier."