'Mercedes will have an even harder time with Red Bull at Monza and Spa'

Sergey Sirotkin thinks Mercedes will have a tough job catching up with Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen in both Formula 1 world championships. According to the Russian Red Bull will also be able to perform well on power circuits like Spa-Francorchamps and Monza.

"This is the first moment since Mercedes took over in 2014 that we can really say Red Bull is stronger," Sirotkin concludes in a column at Formula 1.nl. According to the former Williams Formula 1 driver, the Austrian formation has found a very good compromise with the RB16B. "As a result, it performs well on different tracks, in different conditions and on different tyres."

That Red Bull has a car with more top speed makes it an easier race car for drivers, according to Sirotkin. "That, in turn, gives them more opportunities to overtake. You could also see in the braking zones that they are really faster on the straights." Verstappen and Sergio Perez drive with less downforce, but there is still enough grip to keep the rear of the car stable and manage the tyres well.

Honda does a good job

This is exactly the compromise Sirotkin is talking about. He, therefore, considers Red Bull the 'stronger team'. "With this package, they will go well at power circuits where top speed is even more important than at Paul Ricard. Such as Spa-Francorchamps, Monza and soon, to a lesser extent, the Red Bull Ring. So I expect Mercedes to have an even harder time there against Red Bull."