Brundle: 'Clear to me that poorer form of Red Bull is because of that'
- Corwin Kunst
Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing saw their lead in the two world championships shrink significantly in Monaco. Charles Leclerc approached Verstappen to within 31 points, while Ferrari reduced the gap towards the Austrian to 24 points. According to Martin Brundle, Red Bull's poorer performance should not be seen in isolation from the internal turmoil going on.
So writes the former Formula One driver and commentator in his column for Sky Sports. "Ferrari and McLaren are doing well and both teams and drivers look solid, focused and well-structured. This means Red Bull is looking in the rear-view mirrors in both the drivers' and constructors' championships. It looks like it is 'game on' with so many races to go."
Unrest at Red Bull
Things have been unsettled at Red Bull all season. The trigger is the allegations of cross-border behaviour against Christian Horner. An employee of the Austrian racing stable filed an official complaint, but the team boss was cleared. However, an appeal is still pending, the outcome of which is expected in the not too distant future.
At Max Verstappen's team, they are trying - at least publicly - to push it into the background, but according to Brundle, the situation cannot fail to affect the team's performance. Of the last three Grands Prix, only one was won, that of Imola. That happened with difficulty after a particularly bad Friday.
"For me, there is no doubt that the internal events at Red Bull have had a negative impact on their recent performance. They will be desperate to return to normal performance next time in Montreal," Brundle said.
This article was written in collaboration with Sophia Crothall.