The atmosphere within the Red Bull F1 team is far from ideal, and Felipe Massa believes that the tense environment could give McLaren an advantage.
According to former Ferrari and Williams driver Felipe Massa, the Red Bull vs. McLaren battle for the 2024 F1 World Championship is being fought on a political front. Despite partially regaining its form between Azerbaijan and Singapore, Red Bull is dealing with a significant performance crisis. The departure of key technical staff and high-ranking figures has only added to Max Verstappen’s challenges in the fight.
With just six races left in this season’s championship, Formula 1 is nearing its end. Over the summer, the expectations for this season were turned upside down. While Red Bull was widely seen as the overwhelming favorite, if not the only serious contender for the title, it now seems unlikely that McLaren will lose their lead in the Constructors’ Championship.
However, while McLaren looks poised to claim the team title, Lando Norris faces a tougher road to winning the Drivers’ Championship. The gap is still sizable, even though there are plenty of races left to close it. One thing that might play in Norris’s favor is the more united and relaxed environment at McLaren, in stark contrast to the internal power struggles at Red Bull.
“Internal battles and politics within a team don’t help,” Felipe Massa told RacingNews365. “I’m not inside Red Bull, so I can’t say for sure, but these are things you hear about. I don’t know all the details, but a situation like that is never helpful.” – the former Ferrari driver pointed out – “What’s happening in this year’s championship is exactly what everyone wants to see in Formula 1: multiple teams and drivers fighting for victory. With six races left, anything can still happen. It won’t be easy for the drivers. Max is incredibly strong, a huge talent, a fantastic driver. But what’s going on within the team isn’t good and certainly isn’t helping.” – the Brazilian driver concluded.
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