'Mercedes had the best car, but Red Bull limited the damage'

Lead for Mercedes

The result of a race doesn't always tell the complete story. Sure, the 1-2 for McLaren was nice at Monza, but that doesn't mean they are the best team in Formula 1. Based on data, AMuS looks at the proportions in F1, and compiles a Power Ranking to determine the rankings of the teams.

''Monza is really a Mercedes circuit. The engine has more power, and the car is more efficient on the straights than the RB16B. This gave an advantage of three tenths over one lap. If everything had gone according to plan, Mercedes could have scored a 1-2 with 49 points. However, Hamilton's poor start in the sprint race, the crash with Verstappen and Bottas starting at the back due to a grid penalty made it only 18.''

Damage not so bad for Red Bull

So where Mercedes clearly let points slip, the damage to the underdog in Monza, Red Bull, was very little. ''The team has only lost six points in the battle for the world title with Mercedes, at a favourite circuit of Mercedes. If Verstappen's pit stop had gone according to plan, and Perez had given the spot back to Leclerc immediately, the damage would have been even smaller.''

''Like Mercedes, Red Bull had also brought a special wing for Monza, but after the first free practice the engineers noticed that they had put too much emphasis on top speed. The wing was adjusted to reduce the loss in the corners on Mercedes and also to have less wear on the tyres.''

In the Power Ranking, Mercedes, therefore, retains the leading position, followed by Red Bull Racing. McLaren moves up a place at the expense of Ferrari, with AlphaTauri, Alpine and Aston Martin very close behind. Williams leads from the back, with Alfa Romeo behind them and the clear number two: Haas.