'Seeing new dynamics in mutual battle Mercedes and Red Bull'

The battle for the championship this year is more exciting than we have seen in recent years. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have been fighting for wins all season and that is unlikely to change this afternoon.

Mark Hughes writes on therace.com that he sees a new dynamic, especially in relation to Mercedes. Indeed, the reigning champion in both championships is struggling. "As the battle for the championship between Red Bull-Honda and Mercedes intensifies, are we seeing a new dynamic in their mutual struggles, one where the reigning champion may be starting to show a flat line while the ambitious usurper keeps advancing?"

He then goes on to briefly demonstrate the current proportions with two sentences as well. "It is now almost four races since the Mercedes was last the faster car - in Spain. Since then, Red Bull has won three races in a row and put itself in pole position for the fourth."

War between Mercedes and Red Bull

Because not only on the track but also off the track, there is a lot of fighting going on between the two teams. "There is a propaganda war going on between Red Bull and Mercedes. From flexi-wings (front and rear) to talk of engine upgrades, minimum tyre pressure, it's all through the prism of this somewhat ratty competitive dynamic."

Red Bull ahead of development car

Hughes also sees this. "It's all incredibly close, but the development momentum seems to be with Red Bull. If we compare the last three races with the overall average, Red Bull-Honda has gained competitiveness and the Mercedes has fallen back slightly. It's less than a tenth of a second, but it's there and it could still be as crucial as Red Bull's faster pit stops."

"When Mercedes had a much faster car, they could afford to give away 1 second at the stops. Not anymore", the Brit concluded. Red Bull have made great strides this season, where Mercedes are for the time being mainly trying to counter by tackling them off-track. Meanwhile, Red Bull continue to win.