Martin Brundle spots something ‘unusual’ about Red Bull during Italian GP practice

Follow us on Google Discover

Red Bull’s defence of their dominant 2023 title has not gone smoothly as the Milton Keynes-based squad seem to no longer have the advantage.

After winning all but one race last season, Red Bull find themselves under pressure from McLaren as they hold a 30-point lead over the Woking-based team.

McLaren showed the true potential of their package at the Dutch Grand Prix. Lando Norris won the race by 22.8 seconds over Max Verstappen as Red Bull seem to not have a response.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

Verstappen has struggled to get his once unstoppable No. 1 car to the front of the grid. The Dutchman has claimed just one pole position in the last eight races and has not taken victory since Spain.

Norris sits 70 points behind Verstappen in the standings with nine races to go as the Brit looks to take the fight to the three-time champion.

Red Bull’s struggles continue at the Italian Grand Prix

At the Italian Grand Prix, Red Bull’s struggles appear to have continued. Speaking after FP2 on Sky Sports F1, Martin Brundle assessed the team’s performance in the session.

While practice timings are not hugely something to go by when it comes to maximum performance of a car, Red Bull were off the pace, notably Sergio Perez who was almost a second down on Lewis Hamilton.

With the new track surface catching out several drivers on Friday, including new Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli who spun and crashed at Parabolica in FP1, Verstappen was the next to run wide on the gravel at Monza.

And Brundle could not help but notice how ‘unusual’ it was to see the Red Bull run off the track.

“We saw a Red Bull off the road a bit, which is unusual isn’t it?” he said.

“Once again, it’s not on the rails that we became used to last year all season long and the first couple of races this year. It’s unusual to see them making so many errors.”

Can McLaren catch Red Bull?

Red Bull’s struggles are a major concern in their bid to defend their titles, as McLaren’s package could be unbeatable at certain tracks.

Verstappen’s winless run is the longest of his career since 2020 and he will be desperate to get back to the top step of the podium at Monza.

But it is not just Verstappen’s title that is in jeopardy. With Perez not finishing in the top five since Miami and with Norris and Oscar Piastri currently on form, McLaren keep cutting away at Red Bull’s lead in the constructors’ championship.

With nine races to go, the pressure will be on Red Bull to put an end to their struggles and keep the charging McLaren at bay.