Four races – four victories. Red Bull is going from strength to strength in this year’s WC series. Formula 1 expert Fredrik af Petersens predicts the team will march to two World Cup titles this season.
Sergio Perez won the Azerbaijan GP ahead of teammate Max Verstappen. The Red Bull duo have moved to the front of the WC summary already at this early stage of the season.
– I wouldn’t bet many pennies on any team threatening them. It is possible that Red Bull will suffer a setback from time to time, but when it comes to the fight for the WC titles for drivers and constructors, Red Bull has no competitors, says af Petersens.
Reigning champion Verstappen now has six points to his credit over Perez in the WC series. Both have won two races and all indications are that Perez is the big threat in the Dutchman’s quest for a third consecutive World Cup title.
– Many had expected a stall order today – that Perez would have to let Verstappen pass him – but it never came. Red Bull should have all the credit for that. They let their drivers overtake for victory.
Max Verstappen congratulated Sergio Perez after today’s victory.
Bild: XPB Images
Red bull racing
Do the stablemates hold their own?
In Formula 1 history, there are several examples of team mates fighting for the WC title ending up in each other’s hoods. However, Fredrik af Petersens believes that risk is not imminent in Red Bull this year.
– Red Bull’s team managers, Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, know exactly where the risks are between the two drivers. They will settle in the creek and make sure the fight doesn’t escalate.
– Verstappen and Perez will fight hard on the track, but the managers make sure that things will go smoothly both in front of and behind the scenes. I don’t think they dare cross the line.
The Spanish legend convinces
One of the great positive surprises of the start of the season is former world champion Fernando Alonso. The 41-year-old Spaniard was third in the first three heats and followed up that fine streak with a fourth place today.
– Alonso knows with his routine exactly how to proceed. But in many ways it is about Aston Martin now having a competitive car. We should not forget that Alonso’s team mate Lance Stroll has also made progress.
The Canadian Stroll was seventh today and is in eighth place in the WC series. Alonso is even third.
Ferando Alonso has had reason to smile this year.
Bild: XPB Images
Fernando Alonso
Problematic new sprint concept
The F1 series’ new sprint format was introduced in Baku. The revised concept means that the qualifier is already decided on Friday and that Saturday is weighted for a separate sprint qualifier and a sprint competition.
– From a spectator point of view, it is a plus that there is a competition on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And the drivers have more points to drive for, says af Petersens.
Max Verstappen has criticized the sprint races for being event-poor. Partly because you don’t change tires and partly because the drivers don’t want to take risks as the points awarded are marginal. First place gets eight points, second place seven points and so on. Eight gets a point.
Fredrik af Petersens highlights another dilemma. With the qualification being run already on Friday, this means that you only have one training session on the track instead of two. This means that new drivers have less time to learn how to tackle new tracks.
– A stable manager wondered: Who dares to bet on a new driver who may not even have driven on half the tracks? This can slow down the opportunities for Formula 2 drivers to step up to Formula 1 and that is a big disadvantage.
