Team Analysis | Smiling faces at Red Bull an omen for Verstappen?

F1 season of 2021

Red Bull Racing finally managed to get back into contention for the world title in 2021. It just had to leave the constructors' title to Mercedes, but the difference between the two teams was only 28 points. Red Bull also took more victories than Mercedes. With eleven victories, Red Bull took two more victories than Mercedes.

Although Red Bull lost some ground to Mercedes during the season, it always kept a competitive car. If the car was not competitive, however, the team managed to impress in other ways. The pit stops remain a strong weapon of Red Bull, but also strategically they showed to still belong to the top.

Winter Test

The winter tests in Barcelona and Bahrain went well for Red Bull. In Barcelona, the team impressed with the sidepods of the RB18, although there wasn't much to see on the track. The team of Verstappen and Sergio Perez drove mostly a lot of laps, which is why it ended up fourth in Barcelona in terms of laps.

In Bahrain, Red Bull drove slightly fewer laps, but the focus shifted to the shorter runs. On the final day, the team also came up with an update and it worked out surprisingly well. Perez set a fast time on his first lap out of the pits and later in the day Verstappen would set the fastest time of the week in Bahrain.

Confidence is therefore high at Red Bull Racing. Helmut Marko stood in the garage with a smile on his face and could not hide the fact that the team is optimistic. The Austrian said that the update had brought more than the team expected and that the RB18 is a good concept on the track.

Red Bull Racing in 2022

For Red Bull Racing, the biggest improvement is to be found with the drivers. With Verstappen, the team has a fast leader who has proven that he can win a title, but after the departure of Daniel Ricciardo, none of Verstappen's teammates have really been able to convince. Perez will get another year with the team, but he will have to improve his numbers.

After all, the 2021 figures speak for themselves. Verstappen won the qualifying duel 21-1 and with an average difference per qualifying of 0.433s. Only at AlphaTauri and Haas was the difference between the two teammates greater. There was also such a big difference on Sunday. Verstappen won the racing duel 16-0 and scored more than two hundred points more than his teammate: 395.5-190.

Although Red Bull Racing does not want a rival for Verstappen within the team, Perez, especially on Saturday, should be more helpful. The Mexican was worth his weight in gold for Verstappen in Abu Dhabi, peaking at the right time. This year he will have to show more to keep his place.

Expectations

Expectations are high at Red Bull Racing after the winter test in Bahrain. Despite a title fight until the last race in 2021, Red Bull looks to be in good shape when the new rules go into effect in 2022. The car is fast, reliable and, after the update in Bahrain, was a perfect fit on the track.

Especially the attitude of the Red Bull camp speaks volumes. During the first test week, there was peace and quiet and during the second test week, a smile appeared on their faces. That smile few people within the team could hide and then you often know enough. The main question is how the team holds up against Ferrari.

One thing is for sure: Red Bull and Verstappen have already proven in 2021 that they are capable of winning a long and fierce title fight. It will be a long season in 2022 with the development of the car to take centre stage. If Red Bull manage to start strong, a second title may well be on the horizon for Verstappen.