Ferrari underperforms but holds second – what’s going wrong at Mercedes and Red Bull?. Despite a disappointing start with just two podiums in eight races, Ferrari is second in the F1 Constructors' standings.

Despite an extremely complicated start, Ferrari is second in the Constructors’ standings. Where are Mercedes and Red Bull?

We’ve said it thousands of times and will keep saying it: Ferrari is having a disastrous season. That’s the reality—two podiums in eight races and zero wins, when the expectations at the start of the season were entirely different. Ferrari is struggling, but despite everything, there are teams doing even worse. Indeed, if we take a look at the standings, Ferrari is second in the F1 Constructors’ Championship ahead of Red Bull and Mercedes. But how is that possible?

Mercedes Third in the Constructors’ Behind Ferrari: Strong Start but Tire Management Still a Problem

Mercedes began the year very promisingly, collecting four podiums in the first six races, with a shining George Russell who managed to extract the most from the W16, especially during qualifying. Kimi Antonelli also had a solid start, showing encouraging signs right away, despite going through the natural adaptation phase all rookies face.

However, the Brackley team lacked something to genuinely fight on equal terms with McLaren: tire management. The Woking-based team has managed this aspect excellently, being able to control not only surface temperatures of the tires but also internal ones, particularly in the bulk area—the steel belt at the core of the tire.

Mercedes, on the other hand, continued to struggle with thermal management of the tires, a problem that already compromised performance last year. Even after introducing some changes, tire degradation remains the main limitation this season. The W16 performs well in terms of outright speed, but its suspension layout transmits too much energy to the tires, making thermal management—especially at the rear—difficult.

The Suspension Introduced at Imola Doesn’t Deliver the Expected Results

For this reason, the Brackley team introduced a revised rear suspension at the Imola Grand Prix. Engineers significantly lowered the front arm of the upper triangle, aiming to increase structural rigidity and reduce the energy required to activate the internal components during pitch and roll phases. This was meant to reduce tire stress and improve degradation management.

However, the modification didn’t deliver the expected results. After early feedback on track, the team decided to shelve it for the subsequent races in Monaco and Barcelona. This decision highlighted ongoing issues with data correlation, which in recent races has prevented the Silver Arrows from consistently identifying the car’s optimal operating window, as was clearly evident both in Imola and on the twisty streets of Monte Carlo.

To these problems were added three consecutive retirements due to mechanical failures, further worsening the situation. All of this explains the many points Mercedes has dropped, currently placing them third in the Constructors’ standings behind Ferrari and McLaren.

Red Bull: You Can’t Win a Championship With Just Super Max

As for the Austrian team, the situation appears rather different. The RB21 is by no means a disappointing car; on the contrary, it has proven to be very competitive under various conditions. However, it has shown clear weaknesses in slower sections. The engineers designed the car to maximize floor efficiency and to work with extremely stiff suspension setups. But this choice penalizes performance in slower sectors, especially on circuits that demand a good balance between aerodynamic downforce and mechanical traction.

So far, Max Verstappen has been the only driver able to consistently challenge McLaren. And this is the main issue: only he is able to fully exploit the RB21’s potential. All his teammates—from Pierre Gasly to Yuki Tsunoda—have struggled to find the right feeling with this car. It’s not a matter of talent, but of a car that is extremely difficult to understand and seems to suit only Super Max’s driving style.

Red Bull will need to pay close attention to this aspect. To remain at the top of Formula 1, a team needs two competitive cars, not just one. The unchallenged dominance of 2023 is now a memory: today, the competition is fiercer than ever. Christian Horner’s team needs a major technical and organizational step forward to stay in the fight at the top—because a fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship, behind Ferrari and Mercedes, cannot be an acceptable goal for a team accustomed to winning.