Red Bull is considering adopting a new front wing design similar to those used by McLaren and Mercedes.
Despite beginning the 2024 season strongly, Red Bull's car has struggled with handling, tyre degradation, and overall speed as updates have been progressively introduced.
"I think Max (Verstappen) was able to keep up the good results for a while thanks to his talent," Mercedes chief Toto Wolff speculates.
"But now it seems that they have collapsed. I say this without understanding the exact situation, and without knowing what is happening in the team."
The situation at Red Bull has become so perplexing that the team's consultant, Dr Helmut Marko, has openly acknowledged that the engineers are currently retracing their steps to find where they made a "wrong turn."
However, they are also looking at the solutions implemented by other teams, such as McLaren and Mercedes.
"The front wing of McLaren and Mercedes must be analysed," Marko stated last weekend at Monza.
The concern arises because, following the FIA's 2021 clampdown on excessive wing flex in Red Bull's cars, McLaren and Mercedes have seemingly found novel methods to pass the FIA's checks while achieving flexibility at high speeds.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has clarified that the team is not directly accusing their competitors of any clear rule violations.
"I think the regulations are very clear. I think it's an FIA issue to look again at the wording," he said.
"If you think back to 2021, around Baku, there was a change in the regulations for the front wings," Horner recalled. "Although our wings passed the tests, they were using air elasticity. So again, that's an FIA issue."
"We have to have a bit of faith that they'll sort it out, but we will also have our say."
And if the FIA does not intervene? "Well, if it's acceptable, then you have to join in," Horner confirmed.
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen has found himself now having to carefully manage how many points he loses to McLaren's Lando Norris with each race.
At Monza, Verstappen's lead over Norris dropped from 70 points to 62.
"Max is keeping Red Bull afloat," commented the Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport. "He has transformed from an all-winning cannibal into an accountant, but that is what he needs to do to win the title."
Marko agrees with this assessment.
"Max cannot fully utilise his talent anymore," said the 81-year-old. "He cannot push hard to the limit, because the car does not allow it. The car is too unpredictable for that - too unstable."
"What we have recognised is that we need to go back to the moment when we took a wrong turn. We will see how quickly that will work out."
Interestingly, Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has also indicated he has unresolved concerns about the wing designs of McLaren and Mercedes.
"I don't want to discuss this with the press," said the Frenchman, "but I will have a conversation with (the FIA's) Nikolaos Tombazis.
"We must respect the federation's decision, but we will discuss it behind closed doors."
