Red Bull's dominance not enough to regain lead in Constructors' race

After a weekend of sunshine and orange mist at Circuit Zandvoort, Max Verstappen has taken the lead in the world drivers' championship with flying colours. But with Bottas getting a better result than Perez, Mercedes stay ahead.

With a difference of only twelve points the German team is in the lead in the title fight. Although neither Valtteri Bottas nor Lewis Hamilton posed a real threat to Verstappen today, they did ensure that the defending champion retained his preferred position.

However, they were also helped in this task by the dramatic form of Sergio Perez. An unfortunate qualifying session and an engine change prior to the race meant the driver was forced to play catch-up, something that is all the more difficult to achieve on a circuit like Zandvoort. Perez finished eighth, making a small contribution to Red Bull Racing's points tally.

McLaren down

A notable change in the championship involves McLaren and Ferrari. The papaya coloured cars of Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo couldn't live up to their reputation at Zandvoort, and the team goes home with just one measly point. Ferrari, however, did better by cashing in a combined 16 points, taking over third place in the championship from the British team.

Current standings in the Constructors' Championship

1. Mercedes: 344.5 points

2. Red Bull: 332.5 points

3. Ferrari: 181.5 points

4. McLaren: 170 points

5. Alpine: 92

6. AlphaTauri: 84 points

7. Aston Martin: 53 points

8. Williams: 20 points

9. Alfa Romeo: 3 points

10. Haas: 0 points