MCLAREN driver Oscar Piastri leaves the pit lane during the second practice session at Zandvoort in the Netherlands yesterday. AFP
MAX Verstappen and the Red Bull Racing team will be up against it when the Formula One season resumes after the summer break. The Zandvoort circuit will be painted orange for the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend.
It has been a testing season for the Milton Keynes-based team, and they have endured a barrage of attacks and unsettlement from on and off the track. Even though they are still leading the way in both drivers’ and constructors’ championships, their reign has been put into question and the threat to their kingdom has grown with every wave of the chequered flag.
Verstappen’s dominance of the past three years has taken a slow turn so far this season, and McLaren have thrown the most jabs at the three-time world champion.
The 26-year-old Red Bull driver, however, still has a 78-point lead at the top of the driver standings, and the pair of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have done enough to leave the title fight wide open.
Sergio Perez’s 146-point gap to his teammate has left Red Bull exposed to attacks from the rest of the grid that continue to hunt in pairs. Perez has had a poor season and is currently in seventh place without a win this season.
This is how the rest of the top four teams have done so far.
McLaren to push Red Bull to the Max.
McLaren go into the Dutch Grand Prix high in confidence with a car that has proven to be more than capable of pushing Red Bull to its limits.
Both Piastri and Norris own single victories this season but their consistency has ensured that they keep within touching distance of Red Bull in both championships.
As the battle intensifies through the season, they will need to decide who their best driver is to challenge for the championship, otherwise they stand to lose some points along the way should both drivers battle it out. Norris was fastest in the first practice yesterday.
Ferrari in and about.
The Maranello-based team are in the mix but they are having a fairly quiet season that once again is not good enough to challenge for top honours.
There is a buzz within the home of the ‘Prancing Horse’ with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton set to join the team next season, but the pairing of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc have slowly started to fall behind McLaren with Mercedes closing the gap.
Both Sainz and Leclerc have one victory each and their 11 combined podiums keep them third in the constructors’ championship.
Mercedes launch late attack.
Mercedes made the biggest statement heading into the summer break with three wins from four races.
Hamilton had to wait close to three years to get his first win after a disappointing end to the 2021 season, and having crossed the line in an emotional British GP win a month ago, it took only a week for him to clinch his second win of the season.
Hamilton and George Russell have three wins between them and six podium finishes, and they are currently 79 points behind Ferrari, who occupy third spot in the constructors’ championship.
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