Column | Now Red Bull must prove whether they can really develop well

Red Bull misses out on points

At the start of the season what many fans had been waiting for finally seemed to happen. Red Bull Racing had a great winter test and in qualifying in Bahrain it became clear that Mercedes didn't have a huge load of sand in their car. Red Bull had simply built a faster car.

In Bahrain, however, it was Mercedes that would take the win and we would see that pattern repeat itself. In the first few races, Red Bull may have had the fastest car, but Mercedes scored more points. In Imola, a Red Bull should have been on pole, and the same can be said for Portugal.

However, that was not the case. Verstappen lost his lead in Bahrain, saw Hamilton return to P2 in Imola, and had to settle for P2 in Portugal. In Spain he took the lead after a fantastic overtaking manoeuvre, but Lewis handled his tyres better and Mercedes chose a better strategy.

Mercedes has it better together

In Barcelona, however, Mercedes was simply stronger. Hamilton and Bottas drive to the podium, where Verstappen fought a bitter battle on his own. Verstappen cannot do this alone. Not only for the constructors championship, but also for the drivers championship. Hamilton has the support of Bottas there making an extra pit stop easy, for Verstappen that strategic option has not been possible.

Perez needs to get in there quickly or Hamilton could be running away with the title very quickly. The Briton is better than ever and performs at his best every race. In Barcelona he was again phenomenal on his tyres, and was able to keep Verstappen under pressure for laps despite the dirty air. Verstappen didn't necessarily make mistakes, but couldn't conserve his tyres as much as Lewis did. That's a matter of the driver, but of course also the car.

Red Bull's honour at stake

On that note, a real test is now coming for Red Bull Racing and Adrian Newey. In recent years it was always said that Red Bull could develop so well through the season. In 2012 and 2013, for example, Red Bull took the championship in the final stages of the season. Suddenly there was a monster of a car. In recent years, Red Bull hasn't been able to do that, but Verstappen's greatest successes often come at the end of the season.

However, the past few years were not a fair indicator. Mercedes could focus on the next season, which meant that the development of the current season came to a standstill. That you then catch up as a competitor, is perhaps not so strange. The fact that Mercedes can win a development battle was already clear in 2017 and 2018, when Ferrari, after a strong start to the season, couldn't really keep up at the end.

The test for Newey and his team

In four races, Mercedes has regained the lead in the rankings from Red Bull Racing. It would be nice if Red Bull can do something back and be the best at upcoming circuits. The season is still long, so there are plenty of opportunities to make some progress. None of the teams will miss out on a chance at the title, even if it means sacrificing it for 2022.

There is plenty to criticise Red Bull on at the moment. Strategically it wasn't perfect in Bahrain and Spain, the second driver didn't help in the fight at the front and when it comes to saving tyres, the Mercedes is now slightly stronger than the Red Bull. Hamilton is also virtually flawless over one lap on Saturday, so Verstappen will need to make a move there too.

The biggest step Red Bull needs to make however is with the RB16B. Mercedes' W12 was better than Red Bull's RB16B as a complete package in Spain, while Red Bull started the season with a lead. The Austrians must therefore step up to the plate and prove once and for all that they are the best team when it comes to the development battle over a season. Otherwise, the team risks falling away like Ferrari did in 2017 and 2018.