The big chance Red Bull cannot afford to miss

The Formula 1 summer break finally concludes this weekend, as the championship roars back into life at the Dutch Grand Prix. 

It is, of course, the home of Max Verstappen, with the Dutchman having claimed victory in Zandvoort the past three seasons. 

Since the Dutch GP returned to the F1 calendar in 2021, the three-time world champion has been unbeatable. 

As discussed in a previous article, Verstappen could end Lando Norris' faint title dream this weekend with a fourth consecutive win but there is a greater pressure on Red Bull in general.

Red Bull enter the start of the second half of the season with a 42-point lead over McLaren in the constructors' championship. 

Whilst the advantage might look nice, it is a slim lead given how strong Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have recently been. 

With Zandvoort marking the start of a double-header with the Italian Grand Prix, there is a very real possibility that McLaren could lead the championship come the chequered flag in Monza. 

That happening is just as much in Red Bull's hands as it is McLaren's. The summer break came at a perfect time for Red Bull, who had seen its RB20 caught by McLaren and Mercedes. 

Even Ferrari showed potential in comparison to the Milton Keynes-based team. Points were being lost by Red Bull in almost every round towards the summer break, mostly due to Sergio Perez.

Verstappen has minimal threat of losing the drivers' title this season with a commanding 78-point lead, with the real championship fight being in the constructors' standings. 

Red Bull pressure

The key difference between Red Bull and McLaren is that the latter has two drivers performing strongly, whilst the former only has Verstappen. Perez is the outlier. 

Perez picked up just 28 points in the eight rounds prior to the summer break, increasing the pressure on Verstappen to score as many for Red Bull as possible. 

It caused him to crack in Hungary, before he returned to being cool, calm and collected in Belgium. There is no doubting that Red Bull need Perez in the fight against McLaren, something else which was also discussed recently.

With all the teams and drivers having had three weeks to relax and assess the first half of the season, the Dutch GP marks the chance to build new momentum. 

That is a clever factor behind the summer break that it is a chance for everyone to start fresh when racing resumes, as it kills all momentum. 

Because of this, Red Bull has a huge opportunity to return from the summer break and deliver an eye-catching result in Zandvoort. A Red Bull one-two, for example, would result in a dramatic increase to its lead in the standings and apply pressure on McLaren to respond in Monza. 

Pressure on any team often leads to errors and misjudgement, which is why the Dutch GP is a huge weekend for Red Bull. 

On the other hand, if it is McLaren who are quickest out of the blocks in Zandvoort and Red Bull take its time, the pressure which was building prior to the summer break on the Austrian side will be felt once again.