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The Styrian Grand Prix was this year’s biggest indicator that although Mercedes are reigning champions, this season they may just be trophy-warmers for arch-rivals Red Bull, who solidified a 40-point lead over the Silver Arrows.
Red Bulls’ Max Verstappen cruised to a first place finish, a stunning 35.743 seconds ahead of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes.
Of course, the Red Bulls had the home advantage at the Red Bull Ring in Styria. But if there were ever a time for Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff to hit the panic button, this is it.
“We knew the time would come when it became tougher for us - and it’s here right now,” Wolff said after the race. “Red Bull clearly had the quicker package and we didn’t have the pace to apply strategic pressure to Max who could have covered every move we made; he simply controlled the race from the front.
“We can see that Red Bull are still developing strongly, while our focus is now primarily on 2022, but that doesn’t mean the championship is over - we will be fighting with every weapon we have, and the battle is still full on.”
Three takeaways emerged from the Styrian Grand Prix, which saw Hamilton followed by team mate Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez (Red Bull), Lando Norris (McLaren), Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Fernando Alonso (Alpine) and Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri).
First off, Norris is no longer just happy with fifth position. A year ago, the Brit would have been happy finishing nine places ahead of team mate Daniel Ricciardo. But this time, his attitude was cavalier.
“A good race, quite straightforward – there wasn’t too much going on from my side,” he said after the race.
“We weren’t under too much pressure from the cars behind, and the cars in front of us were too far ahead, which we expected.”
He went on to note that McLaren were much more competitive in qualifying, and fell behind when tyre management and pit strategy started to play a bigger role – a sign that he is now looking for a competitive advantage on the grid, instead of within the team.
Secondly, the jokes about Ferrari’s Master Plan can finally stop. The Prancing Horses have put up solid performances throughout the season, with Charles Leclerc nabbing the Driver of the Day title after falling to P18 as a result of an incident involving Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri). He then recovered to P7, one spot behind team mate Carlos Sainz who jumped eight spots from grid to chequered flag.
And, finally, while it may be tempting to think that Perez’s success this weekend came because Red Bull has finally figured out a two-driver strategy, the pit stop strategy that cost the Mexican his P3 proves otherwise.
Instead of the team adapting to Perez, it seems he has found a way to adapt to the team, copying Verstappen’s setups and settings and contouring his driving style around them. But the team’s priorities burn a hole in his stellar driving when slow and badly-planned pits cost him (and the team) valuable points.
The second race in Styria is set for the coming weekend, with the Austrian Grand Prix scheduled from July 2 to 4.
