Could relentless Red Bull domination weaken F1's meritocracy stance?
Like Mercedes before it, Red Bull is on a roll at the moment and could dominate until 2026. But could, asks MATT KEW, this type of superiority turn off the fans and sponsors that have rushed to F1 because of Drive to Survive
Red Bull was punished for busting the cost cap in 2021 by having its aerodynamic testing allowance slashed. This could have stunted the team’s in-season development. But it has started 2023 so strongly to massively mitigate this kneecapping: the RB19 doesn’t require aggressive upgrades to stay ahead. As a result, given its current potency and the plan to keep regulations stable until 2026, a whitewash between now and then might well lie in store.
That potential hot streak would be far from unprecedented in Formula 1, which has bounced from one ‘superteam’ to the next. A second spell from Red Bull, to go along with its 2010-13 clean sweep, would arrive hot on the heels of Mercedes snaring eight constructors’ crowns on the trot. But would Red Bull doing similar until 2026 be a different kind of domination?
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