While last year the Silver Arrows were able to celebrate second place in the constructors’ championship behind Red Bull, just ahead of Ferrari, things are currently looking less rosy; at the moment they are only in fourth place. Accordingly, it would be considered a great success if the former dominator at least finished this season as number two behind Red Bull. “We have to recognize that someone is doing a better job than us,” said team boss Toto Wolff.
At the moment it’s not just Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren are also ahead of the most successful racing team from 2014 to 2021. The works team won the constructors’ championship eight times in a row, Lewis Hamilton became drivers’ world champion six times, Nico Rosberg once. Red Bull then passed Verstappen after a change in the regulations.
imago images/Motorsport Images/Steven Tee Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is currently a long way from winning the title
Wolff no longer wants to “suffer”
“There will be a big restart in 2026, and then there will be a realistic chance for all other teams to beat Red Bull,” said Wolff, referring to the upcoming new rule change. “But before that there is still a full season and a three-quarter season – and I don’t want to just suffer in these months.”
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World Cup standings and calendar
That’s why it’s better to find solutions sooner rather than later. Although record world champions Hamilton and George Russell only managed ninth and seventh place at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, things are going in the right direction. They also occupy ninth and seventh place in the overall standings, and together they don’t even have half of Verstappen’s points.
Results “clearly not good”
“When I look at the results, it’s clearly not good,” said Wolff, who has been waiting for his team to win since November 2022. “We are certainly not leaving Suzuka happy, but we are convinced that more will come soon,” explained the Viennese. Last year’s car was a bad design, now it’s not quite as dramatic.
IMAGO/Panoramic/Frederic Le Floch Toto Wolff (M.) remains confident
“If we want to move forward in the field, we have to find more performance,” stated Hamilton and demanded: “We have to keep working hard.” The 39-year-old is moving to Ferrari after the season, but announced that he would look into his career to say goodbye to the best possible performance. The seven-time champion cannot show even this at the moment and has to cope with the worst start to the season in 18 years of his Formula 1 career. “We made some progress, and that was positive,” emphasized Russell, who will still be in the factory team’s cockpit in 2025.
“The fight is on. We’re fighting for second place, that’s just as much our reality as it was last year,” said Wolff, giving an insight into the emotional world in the team: “The expectation is always to get victories and championships. It’s not satisfying at all just fighting for second place.”
Perez should become crown prince again
In the drivers’ standings, Perez has once again positioned himself as the first pursuer of his three-time victorious teammate with second place in Suzuka behind Verstappen – it was the Mexican’s third second place this season. “It went well for me and the team,” said Perez after the race. “I’m in good shape at the moment and since I had perhaps the most difficult weekend of the entire season here last year, I’m very happy.”
Reuters/Issei Kato Sergio Perez wants to build on previous results
At Red Bull they are of course keen to take him to second place in the championship behind Verstappen. Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko was very satisfied after qualifying in Suzuka: “Perez was better than expected, he has improved incredibly.” The 80-year-old Styrian cited the Mexican’s changed attitude as the reason. Perez no longer tries to go his own technical way. “The cars are almost identical in their set-up, that’s what ultimately matters,” said Marko. Since the Mexican’s contract with Red Bull expires at the end of the season, this constellation should also help him with his own advertising.
