A Highly Sensitive Moment
After the first two races of the season, the four top teams can be divided into two categories. The ‘Mercedes’ alliance, consisting of McLaren and Mercedes, is in a strong position—McLaren has won both races and is currently the technical benchmark on the grid, while Mercedes sits second in the Constructors’ standings, with George Russell finishing third in both Melbourne and Shanghai. On the other hand, Ferrari and Red Bull are both dealing with technical crises, with Red Bull’s issues also extending to its drivers.
In Japan, Yuki Tsunoda will replace Liam Lawson as Max Verstappen’s teammate. The Dutchman had previously commented that it would have been easier for the New Zealander to perform well in Racing Bulls, as the RB21 is currently a very difficult car to drive. Lawson’s struggles in his first two races support this claim—while Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar impressed in qualifying, both nearly reaching Q3 each time, Lawson was eliminated in Q1 on both occasions.
British journalist Peter Windsor, speaking on his YouTube channel, suggested that Max Verstappen would actually perform better if he switched from Red Bull to Racing Bulls at this moment. “Red Bull is going through a strange phase,” Windsor stated. “Right now, in terms of chassis performance, I’d bet that Racing Bulls has a better car than Red Bull. Look at Yuki Tsunoda’s performances, look at how well Isack Hadjar did in Chinese qualifying, and look at how difficult the car is for Liam Lawson, even for Max himself. He drove perfectly in China yet could do no better than fourth place. If Max Verstappen were in Yuki Tsunoda’s car right now, he would probably be ahead of the official team.”
However, Peter Windsor acknowledged that this scenario will never happen: “It won’t happen, due to contractual, branding, sponsorship, and Constructors’ Championship points considerations.”
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