RED Bull’s Max Verstappen passes the chequered flag to win the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Pool. | Reuters
OBAKENG MELETSE
RED Bull Racing continue to lead the way in the Formula One Constructors Championship even with their season having gone through a bumpy last two race weekends. The threat had been imminent from Ferrari for quite a while, but it was McLaren that managed to land the vital blow as Mercedes continued to clutch at straws.
All roads lead to the Circuit de Monaco for the Monaco Grand Prix and with an urgent need for a few thorough pit stops before the Grand Prix following a not so straight forward weekend, we look at the current standings in the Constructors Championship and prospects of the four top teams so far.
Red Bull Racing
The Milton Keynes based team is unsurprisingly leading the way on 268 points and have a 56-points buffer over a Ferrari team that does not seem to have what it takes to make inroads within the top. Sergio Perez hasn’t found himself much at the top with his last three races seeing him finish outside the top two..
His failure to challenge his teammate could well expose the team deeper in the season, with the competition around them working well together collectively collecting points. Red Bull have won the last two Constructors Championships to go with the drivers championships.
Mercedes
Currently on 79 points, Mercedes are still stuck on their seven straight championship wins and have made a lot more promises of a return to their best form than they’ve won since the 2021 season. They are all set to lose their most successful driver in Lewis Hamilton at the end of the season and with just seven races in the season, the W15 has gone further into the midfield.
They have also lost ground on Ferrari and McLaren without any signs of significant improvements even with upgrades to their car.
Ferrari
The prancing horse is fresh off their home Grand Prix in Imola, and their solid third and fifth finish will slightly be overshadowed by the progress McLaren have made in recent weeks.
Carlos Sainz has had an indifferent follow up to his Australian GP win and he has been out-raced by teammate Charles Leclerc in the last two races. Ferrari are currently second on the standings with 212 points and will be hoping hometown hero Leclerc can pull out a special race in the iconic Circuit de Monaco this weekend.
Their second spot is not safe moving to the weekend with McLaren only 58 points behind and showing a lot of intent.
McLaren
The Surrey-based team last won the Constructors Championship in 1998 when Mika Hakkinen also won the drivers Championship. It’s a long shot for them to win the constructors this year but they have managed to outperform Mercedes and they have started to make Ferrari uncomfortable in second spot.
Monaco GP and the endless corners of their street circuit will probably not be able to give a full picture of the strides McLaren have made as a traditional circuit would, but they should be in contention.