The key Red Bull and McLaren problems limiting Mercedes, Ferrari F1 title pursuit

After nine races, the constructors’ standings have highlighted the true level of competitiveness among the four top teams, although it is clear that the level has evolved since the start of the season. 

Mercedes remains the undisputed leader over its rivals with the competitive strengths of the W17 clear, and those of the Ferrari SF-26 increasingly so, the performance of McLaren and Red Bull appears much more inconsistent, especially from one track to the next.

Now that we are nearly halfway through the current season, questions around what the top four teams can do to maintain and improve their performance are being asked. 

If those asking this question expect a clear-cut, precise answer, a sort of recipe for how each of the four top cars can boost their performance, they’ll be disappointed. 

Rather, it is more appropriate to separate and distinguish the cars that have not shown any particular design flaws from those that have revealed shortcomings stemming from choices made in the initial design stages, and thus divide into two separate groups.

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Where Mercedes and Ferrari must focus

On one hand is Mercedes and Ferrari, and on the other, is McLaren and Red Bull.

In the case of the former two, no specific adjustments to the cars are needed in terms of vehicle dynamics or aerodynamics, other than targeted developments that can further enhance the already excellent performance of these two cars.

For Ferrari, its aerodynamic development, which has proven very effective so far, will need to be paired with the upgraded power unit, featuring the second ADUO update, currently scheduled for after the summer break. This will then give the team an assessment to the extent of the gap to Mercedes and how far it has been closed since the start of the season. 

Meanwhile, at Mercedes, the first part of the season has been characterised by less frequent upgrades than the competition, with an evolutionary package to be introduced shortly to maintain their lead over Ferrari - which has been partially eroded. 

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McLaren's early issue that is not easy to fix

As for McLaren, the Woking squad has delayed the introduction of the 'Macarena' wing, not only to ensure its effectiveness and reliability, but because it is undeniable that the MCL40 has thus far proven to be a more challenging car on which to implement upgrades.

The decision to adopt a much shorter wheelbase than that of rival cars has proven to be a choice with complex implications for consistent performance across different tracks. 

The engineers still lack a precise understanding of the car's behaviour that would allow for targeted and effective upgrades. 

For McLaren, the first priority, if possible, is to correct these errors, but it is worth noting upgrade do not always bring about a change in a car's DNA, so the idea of any dramatic breakthroughs for McLaren with MCL40 upgrades should not be expected.

This line of reasoning also applies to Red Bull and the RB22 machine.

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Red Bull facing major rear wing question

In fact, since the start of the season, Red Bull has already radically modified the RB22 twice, with the car undergoing a major aerodynamic evolution - during which time, the 'Macarena' wing pioneered by Ferrari was first deployed.

But it is precisely this rear wing that is now under scrutiny, as Max Verstappen crashed out of qualifying in Austria and then from a podium in the British GP with failures in the airflow re-attaching after a malfunction in the straight mode closing mechanism. 

Aside from fixing the issues around the rear wing, Red Bull has no further substantial opportunities to radically alter the DNA of the RB22.

The power unit is the strong point of the package, and the vehicle dynamics have only been a strength on a few occasions, with the aerodynamics appearing to be inconsistent. 

Finding the right balance and dynamic stability are the goals the team must chase to ensure consistent performance - something that has proved to be very elusive across the first nine grands prix.