'This is where Red Bull still has something to learn'

Mercedes was too strong for competitor Red Bull Racing on Sunday afternoon in Barcelona. The latter team was in the lead for a while with Max Verstappen, but in the end it was Lewis Hamilton who took the main prize. Former driver Sergej Sirotkin sees that Red Bull still has some room for improvement.

Hamilton's team has been developing in recent races and looked good on circuit of Spain. "This is where Red Bull still has something to learn," Sirotkin stated for Formule1.nl. "Of course they are also a top team and have won. They had good years with Vettel's championships, but where they are now and where Mercedes is is pretty clear. If they had two identical cars, I would still put my money on Mercedes. They do it right every time, right down to the details."

Hamilton has won three of the four races so far and is therefore putting distance into Verstappen in the championship for the time being. Sirotkin thinks the difference remains small though. "In terms of development I don't think Mercedes will distance themselves now during the season. I think Mercedes will see that the car remains capable of winning the championship, they will start to put their resources into development for 2022."

Red Bull driver alongside Verstappen

Remarkably, Red Bull is still unable to find a good driver alongside Verstappen. Where things have previously gone wrong with Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon, Sergio Pérez is also not in form this season. "I can't believe that Verstappen is nine tenths faster than any other driver next to him just based on his skills. You don't see that anywhere, even in other entry-level classes."