0
Juan Pablo Montoya has cast doubt over Red Bull's prospects of turning around Max Verstappen's title defence, despite the team bringing its largest upgrade package of the season to Austria this weekend. The former Williams and McLaren driver told betting platform BetVictor that while the updates may close the gap to Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren, they will not be enough to reverse the championship slide, as rivals continue their own development programmes.
Red Bull arrives at the Red Bull Ring with a comprehensive aero package and, crucially, a car that is reportedly at the minimum weight limit for the first time this season. The Austrian squad is hoping the combination of weight reduction and aerodynamic refinement will allow Verstappen to challenge the three teams that have surged ahead in recent rounds. Red Bull's power unit is widely regarded as the strongest on the grid, and the team believes the track characteristics in Spielberg, with long straights and heavy braking zones, will suit their package.
Montoya acknowledges the potential of the upgrades but stops well short of predicting a resurgence. "Red Bull comes with updates and they will finally have a car that is also at the right weight," he said. "We already know they have the best power unit. Those two things, combined with the Red Bull Ring, are going to make it really interesting. The Red Bull Ring consists of long straights and corners where you have to brake hard."
Weight reduction could unlock half a second
The Colombian expects the weight saving to deliver significant lap time gains at a circuit where power and efficiency matter. "If you then add a few tenths of downforce on top of that, you suddenly see a Red Bull that is half a second per lap faster," Montoya explained. "Then they are also in the right window." Reaching the minimum weight limit has been a persistent issue for Red Bull this season, with excess mass compromising both tyre management and aero balance. The team has redesigned bodywork and internal components to shed the final kilograms.
The development race problem
Despite the optimism surrounding the package, Montoya warns that Red Bull faces a structural problem in the development race. "That being said, I don't think they are close enough for Max to make a comeback," he said. "The problem is that you bring all those updates and get on par with the rest, but then everyone takes another step and you are still behind." His assessment reflects the reality that Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes have all maintained aggressive upgrade schedules, with each team introducing performance-critical updates at multiple race weekends since the start of the European season.
Verstappen has publicly voiced frustration over Red Bull's recent form, and the team has acknowledged that rivals have outpaced them in the development race. The gap in the constructors' championship has widened, and Verstappen's advantage in the drivers' standings has shrunk from what was once a commanding margin. Red Bull's chief technical officer Pierre Waché has admitted the team underestimated the rate of progress elsewhere on the grid.
Montoya praises Red Bull's power unit achievement
Montoya did offer praise for Red Bull Powertrains, which has delivered what many consider the class-leading engine in its first full season as an independent manufacturer. "Red Bull has been brilliant with their engines and what they have achieved," he said. "It's actually bizarre when you think about it. Mercedes and Ferrari have been making engines for Formula 1 for decades. And Red Bull comes along with one that is the best." Red Bull took over Honda's intellectual property in 2022 and has since developed the power unit in-house, a bold move that has paid dividends in terms of reliability and performance.
The Austria race weekend will provide the first real measure of whether Red Bull's upgrade philosophy is sound, or whether the team has fallen into a development trap that mirrors the struggles of other former championship contenders. Montoya's scepticism underscores a broader uncertainty about whether any single upgrade package can reverse a trend that has seen three teams leapfrog Red Bull in race trim
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
I. Hadjar
A. Antonelli
C. Leclerc
984 members have this team as their favourite
Replies (0)
Login to reply