Red Bull's earlier dominance continues to be eroded, as the embattled team faces yet another key staff departure, with long-time strategy chief Will Courtenay set to join direct rivals McLaren in 2026.
It's been a difficult stretch for the reigning world champions, who have dealt with high-profile staff exits, internal strife, and a noticeable drop in performance throughout 2024.
McLaren, on the other hand, has surged ahead, with Lando Norris now only 52 points behind Max Verstappen in the drivers' championship after a commanding win in Singapore. McLaren is expected to remain a major force as the next few races approach.
"The McLaren is by far the best car," said former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher.
"Now we're coming up on tracks that suit the McLaren even more. Norris drove in a different world in Singapore, and there are still plenty of points to be won. I think Lando really has a good chance."
Meanwhile, Red Bull did see some improvements in car handling and speed at the recent grands prix in Baku and Singapore.
However, Norris remained dominant throughout the Singapore race.
"Qualifying was a bit misleading," said Dutch GP boss and former F1 driver Jan Lammers to NOS after the night race.
"We thought Red Bull was close, but the disillusionment came in the race. I think it was a bit of a cold shower for Red Bull."
Lammers believes Verstappen will ultimately secure his fourth consecutive drivers' title this season, but Red Bull may be losing hope for the constructors' championship.
"(Sergio) Perez is the biggest problem," he said. "Max's world championship is actually going quite well."
"But if Perez continues with his inconsistency, Red Bull will also have to worry about second place in the constructors' championship. They have a lot to think about apart from just the balance in the car."
Former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos also feels Verstappen's championship is not at serious risk, especially since a streak of wins from Norris won't be enough as long as Verstappen continues to finish in second place.
"That's not going to happen," Doornbos told Ziggo Sport. "Look at what happened in Singapore - Norris almost threw the race away three times."
That said, Doornbos admitted that McLaren's speed advantage is undeniable at this stage.
"At the start, we thought victory for Max was on the table when the gap was two or three seconds. But then, a 23-second gap after 28 laps? It could have been much larger."
"Red Bull and Max actually deserve top marks for execution—P2 in qualifying and P2 in the race. There was nothing more to achieve beyond that."
