Brundle: Wherever they start, Red Bull drivers can finish 1-2

Martin Brundle believes that wherever Red Bull's drivers line up on the grid on race day, they can finish 1-2 such is the pace supremacy of their RB19 car.

In Miami, Red Bull upheld its 100% win record in 2023, with race winner Max Verstappen and runner-up Sergio Perez delivering to the Milton Keynes-based outfit its fourth 1-2 in five races.

Much of Red Bull's dominance appears to be rooted in the RB19's remarkable DRS advantage that procures a 30 kph top speed benefit down the straights when the drag reduction system is activated.

Brundle suggests that upper hand won't be easily reined in by Red Bull's rivals.

"It's a pity that Red Bull breached the cost cap regulations last year because it's too easy for some to try to minimise what they are achieving now," Brundle wrote in his post-race column for Sky Sports.

"They are dominant, and it's for the other teams and drivers to do a better job.

"With the DRS rear wing open the Red Bull is fundamentally much faster in top speed than the other nine teams, so much so that I suspect that wherever they start on the grid, and given no outside factors, they can finish one-two.

"Their speed is simply irresistible and that's where the other teams must focus.

"It won't be easy, that's an overall car design philosophy rather than an update, and even then, only after they've understood what Red Bull are doing to dump so much drag."

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A mistake in qualifying led to Verstappen lining up a lowly P9 on Sunday's grid. But that was but an insignificant handicap for the Dutchman who took a conservative approach to the start of his race, to remain out of harm's way, before a blistering fast middle stint on the hard tyre brought him in contention for a race win.

"A cautious Verstappen even lost a place on the opening lap, dropping to 10th, fully aware that he'd cruise past the pack in relatively short order as soon as DRS was enabled, and using his prodigious, metronomic speed and tyre management thereafter," added Brundle.

"Of course, I'd rather there were at least two teams fighting for the victories, that would be much better, but believe me when I say that Murray Walker and I would have killed for that much race action 25 years ago in the commentary box on many occasions.

"That doesn't mean to say we shouldn't focus on improving the racing and I am concerned that the 2023 cars, loaded with ever more downforce, are not helping in that respect."

Brundle says the FIA's decisions to shorten specific DRS zones in Baku and in Miami in a bid to make overtaking more difficult proved ineffective against Red Bull and too effective with regard to F1's midfield.

"The Red Bull DRS success creates another fundamental issue in that they simply breeze past the opposition as I've described above, but shortening the length of the DRS zones (based on 2022 data) is not helping the rest of the field make passes," noted the former F1 driver.

"Quite a dilemma but nothing the FIA can really do there, the other teams simply must catch up."

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