Sainz won the Australian GP after Max Verstappen retired early on owing to a brake issue in March. Norris has also now joined F1’s winners’ circle after he beat Verstappen on the road at the Miami GP. The Red Bull ace had no answer for Norris’ pace after the safety car period.
Frederic Vasseur believes Ferrari can now ‘put pressure’ on Red Bull
Vasseur believes Red Bull failing to win two of the opening six Grand Prix in 2024 shows they are no longer in their ‘comfort zone’. Ferrari and McLaren can now force Red Bull into having to make aggressive strategy calls to win, rather than just letting Verstappen control his tyres.
Verstappen breezed to victory in 19 of the 22 Grand Prix last year with an average lead over second place of 12.162 seconds. He has even won four of the first six Grand Prix this season with an average lead over second place of 15.602s, plus 8.207s across the two Sprint events.
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So, Vasseur admits that Red Bull still hold an advantage over Ferrari and the rest of the field. But if the Scuderia can perfect their strategy and set-ups for Sainz and Charles Leclerc, the chance is now there to win in a straight fight against Verstappen and Sergio Perez this term.
“I think Red Bull still have an advantage over the competition,” Vasseur noted, via quotes by Formule1. “If we’re able to do a good job and bring it all together, we’ll be there.
“It means that we are now back in a position where we can put some pressure on them and they have to be more aggressive with their strategy.”
Red Bull are no longer in their ‘comfort zone’ and can be punished
Vasseur even believes Ferrari can punish Red Bull in a direct fight if they make a ‘small step’ with the development of the SF-24. That could even come for the Emilia Romagna GP next, as Formu1a.uno claims Ferrari’s upgrades for Imola have exceeded the team’s expectations.
He added: “At Red Bull, they are no longer in the comfort zone of last season, when it didn’t really matter what happened. After the first or second round, they are already ahead.
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“I think reducing the gap is a game-changer in the management of the race. This is an opportunity for us. If we make one more small step, we will be in a very good position to fight with them every weekend.”
Ferrari will unveil the SF-24 ‘2.0’ with their Emilia Romagna GP upgrades
Formu1a.uno reports that Ferrari will unveil the SF-24 ‘2.0’ at Imola which can unlock three-tenths of a second per lap. The Scuderia will take new sidepod inlets and floor entries to the Emilia Romagna GP aimed at improving the F1 car’s aerodynamic efficiency and load points.
Ferrari’s upgrades at Imola will include a new engine cover with cooling vents that are more reminiscent of Red Bull’s, too. The Scuderia will also make minor changes to their front and rear wings. The Maranello natives believe their ‘2.0’ car will launch them closer to Red Bull.
Adrian Newey is officially leaving his post as chief technical officer at Red Bull. Newey handed in his resignation ahead of last week’s Miami Grand Prix, and the team say he’ll depart in early 2025.
The team’s narrative is that the exit is entirely amicable. After all, Newey has given them 18 years of service to date, during which they’ve won a combined 13 titles.
His friend and manager Eddie Jordan has also suggested that he would like to take a break. He won’t be obliged to take a period of gardening following his exit.
However, tension behind the scenes seems to have played a part in his decision too. The 65-year-old was apparently unhappy that Christian Horner tried to downplay his influence.
In an interview last year, Horner talked up the role of technical director Pierre Wache and his team. In doing so, he hinted that Newey’s involvement was limited.
David Croft isn’t convinced by that version of events. Newey is one of the greatest designers in F1 history, having won 25 championships across three different decades.
Helmut Marko wasn’t surprised by Adrian Newey exit after Amanda Newey comments
Writing on her X/Twitter page in January of this year, Newey’s wife Amanda called Horner’s comments ‘hogwash’. And Red Bull executive director Helmut Marko has now offered his take on that remark in an interview with OE24.
Asked if he was surprised by Newey’s resignation, he said: “No, that has been apparent for a long time.”
It was then put to him that some may have seen it coming after Amanda Newey’s post. With hindsight, it seems to offer a telling insight into the discontent within his camp.
Marko replied: “There have been several occasions. That was one.”
McLaren rule out Adrian Newey move
Marko also shared his fears that, the next time Red Bull see Newey, he’ll be wearing different colours. That aligns with a prediction from McLaren CEO Zak Brown, who insists we ‘definitely’ haven’t seen the last of him in F1.
That’s why Red Bull have already banned Newey from accessing their data and attending most of their meetings. They don’t want him to gain any further information that could be used to help a rival.
While Brown is a close personal friend of the Englishman, he’s ruled out trying to bring him back to McLaren. A return to Williams, another of his former teams, doesn’t seem likely either despite stated interest from James Vowles.
| ADRIAN NEWEY CONSTRUCTORS’ TITLES | TEAM |
| 1992 | Williams |
| 1993 | Williams |
| 1994 | Williams |
| 1996 | Williams |
| 1997 | Williams |
| 1998 | McLaren |
| 2010 | Red Bull |
| 2011 | Red Bull |
| 2012 | Red Bull |
| 2013 | Red Bull |
| 2022 | Red Bull |
| 2023 | Red Bull |
Jenson Button has argued that he’ll look to stay in the UK, potentially opening the door to Mercedes. Toto Wolff was seen holding talks with the legendary figure in the Miami GP paddock.
Aston Martin could also offer him the chance to set up shop in their Silverstone base. Team owner Lawrence Stroll is ready to break the bank to get him on board.
But the clear favourite in the race at the moment is Ferrari. Newey reportedly held talks with team principal Fred Vasseur last week and is ‘seriously considering’ accepting their offer.
