For the first time since 2022, Red Bull is no longer leading the Formula 1 constructors’ championship after McLaren’s stunning performance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. With Oscar Piastri claiming victory and Lando Norris charging from 15th to fourth, McLaren has overtaken Red Bull, opening a 20-point gap.
The once seemingly untouchable Red Bull, which dominated the 2023 season with 21 wins out of 22 races, is now on the back foot. Sergio Perez’s crash while vying for a podium spot and Max Verstappen’s underwhelming fifth-place finish have shaken the team’s dominance. Meanwhile, Verstappen’s lead in the drivers’ championship has slightly narrowed, now holding a 59-point advantage over Norris with just seven races left.
Team Principal Christian Horner acknowledged the gravity of the situation, calling the result a “big hit” to Red Bull’s title defense but remained defiant: “We’re now not defending, we’re chasing. So it changes the dynamic again, and we’re just going to throw everything at it.”
Despite Red Bull’s strong starting positions—Perez in fourth and Verstappen in sixth—it was McLaren’s day. Piastri’s superb racecraft and McLaren’s tactical teamwork not only secured a race win but catapulted the team into the championship lead for the first time since 2014. A late-race crash between Perez and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz dashed any hopes of Perez securing a podium, while Norris’s remarkable drive added insult to injury for Red Bull.
Horner admitted the frustration, particularly as Norris had started so far down the grid: “It’s frustrating, particularly after where Lando qualified, that we didn’t beat him today, but thankfully he hasn’t scored big points.”
Sergio Perez, clearly disheartened by his poor run of form—failing to secure a top-three finish in 12 consecutive races—expressed his sorrow for the team. Yet, he saw a glimmer of hope: “It’s a massive frustration, but the positive thing is that the pace is back.”
As the championship battle intensifies, Red Bull finds itself in an unfamiliar position—chasing McLaren as the season barrels toward its final seven rounds. With time running out and the dynamic shifted, Red Bull must regroup quickly to claw back the deficit and reignite their quest for a fourth consecutive title.
