If you’ve spent any time watching Formula One racing this season, it’s hard not to be excited by the progression of events. The sport has been dominated by Mercedes-AMG and its world conquering driver, Lewis Hamilton, but 2021 looks to be different. Red Bull Racing Honda has a star driver of its own in Max Verstappen but the car, Honda power unit, and teammate Sergio Perez also look to be in top form. The team and its drivers are presenting quite the challenge for Mercedes, as the dominant team is in second place for the first time in a long time.
The team leads F1’s constructor championshipPhoto courtesy of Honda Motor Co. Inc.
The win by Verstappen sets Honda atop the leaderboard for the F1 constructors championship for the first time since the end of the 1991 season. Honda previously announced its exit from the sport, and will turn over power unit development efforts to Red Bull itself, which has begun a hiring spree to fill key positions in development and management.
For its part, Red Bull has to be happy with the result, both for its drivers and for the team. Verstappen’s win puts him ahead of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and moves the team itself to the top of the leaderboard. The result is impressive, despite the fact that Monaco is a notoriously difficult track for passing. Max started in second and finished first, but teammate Sergio Perez moved from his qualifying position of ninth up to fourth, gaining several additional points in the process.
Honda is set to exit F1 after 2021Photo courtesy of Honda Motor Co. Inc.
In two weeks, the Red Bull cars will be put to the test again in Azerbaijan. The team has seen mixed results at the Baku circuit in recent years, but this time it will be defending its one-point lead over Mercedes. As for Max, his four-point lead over Hamilton is the big headline of today, but anything can happen as the sport moves to its sixth race of the 2021 season.
