Why Red Bull is in danger of falling short of the constructors' title

At the beginning of the season, there seemed to be no problem for Red Bull. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez were picking up wins and podium finishes with ease, building a comfortable lead in the constructors' championship. 

After five races Ferrari was looking at a 44-point deficit, now the struggling Italian team is already 71 points behind Red Bull.

Things, though, are not going smoothly at Red Bull. McLaren and Mercedes have been playing catch-up and are breathing down the Milton Keynes-based team's neck. 

Indeed, McLaren has scored the most points in the last two races, closing in on Red Bull and making itself the main challenger in the constructors' championship. After all, it is only seven mere points behind Ferrari. 

Add to that Mercedes' victories in Austria and Britain and there is only one conclusion possible: the second half of the season is still going to be incredibly exciting.

So, despite the comfortable lead, it is far from certain that Red Bull will actually claim its third constructors' title in a row. The main reason? Perez's performance. 

Whereas McLaren and Mercedes have two drivers who are invariably competing for the top spots at the moment, Red Bull could only rely on Verstappen lately. You get away with that when you clearly have the fastest car, but not when the competition occasionally prevails. 

Red Bull pressure mounting

The worried words of advisor Dr. Helmut Marko do show that Red Bull is not at ease. The consultant has so far been positive about Red Bull's chances, especially with the inconsistent performance of the competition, but admonished the team for action in his most recent column for Speedweek. 

"Red Bull does not have the fastest car right now and we need to correct that with the update," said Marko. "Of course it helps us that Red Bull's opponents take turns at the front, but we can't rely on that. 

"We have to be able to win on our own again, that's the requirement. There are twelve more race weekends coming up. You can't rely on the fact that there are always other teams in front or behind us and that we take advantage of that."

It does show that the pressure is mounting at Red Bull. No one needs to doubt Verstappen's qualities, but for the Milton Keynes-based team it is very worrying that Perez remains adrift on a regular basis. 

The Mexican is in a form crisis, picking up only 15 points in the last six races and was told before the British Grand Prix that he must perform before the summer break. Indeed, clauses in his brand new Red Bull contract allow him to be sidelined during the summer break.

Should Red Bull make that drastic decision, however, the problems will not be solved overnight. A new driver does not ensure that Red Bull regains the initiative in the constructors' championship. 

Suppose Liam Lawson or Daniel Ricciardo become Verstappen's team-mate after the summer break, is it certain that they will immediately outperform Perez? They will also need some time to fully get used to the RB20 and feel comfortable.

Red Bull margin

It is therefore very possible that Red Bull's lead will disappear like snow in the sun. Of course, the team still has quite a margin on McLaren and Mercedes, but one bad weekend could turn the odds around. 

Marko and team principal Christian Horner seem to realise that now too, as there is much talk about the updates for the Hungarian Grand Prix as well as Perez's form. Things must improve soon, or else it will be a tough story.

Red Bull will be hoping to take a big hit on the competition before the summer break. Of course, if Perez shows improvement and the upgrades provide a desired step, the aforementioned problems could be history in no time. 

Verstappen has shown all season long that he takes every opportunity and maximises his performance. He may become Red Bull's savior, but the battle is far from decided.