How Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes have closed the gap on Red Bull

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

The 2024 Formula 1 season, once expected to be another Red Bull procession, has turned into a riveting contest, with seven different winners from the first 14 races. Red Bull’s early dominance in Bahrain, where they left rivals far behind, seemed to set the tone for the year. But since then, F1’s relentless development race has changed everything.

Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes have clawed their way back into contention through aggressive mid-season upgrades, bringing unpredictability to each race weekend. As these teams continue to close in on Red Bull, the championship is now wide open, delivering drama and competition in every Grand Prix.

Red Bull

Wins: 7
Points: 408

Red Bull's mid-season struggles: can they hold off McLaren's charge?

Red Bull’s 2024 season started in familiar fashion, with Max Verstappen claiming dominant victories in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. His margins of 22 and 13 seconds over teammate Sergio Pérez showcased Red Bull's early strength. But behind the scenes, off-track issues and a brake failure at the Australian Grand Prix hinted at brewing challenges.

Despite a strong showing with a 12-second win in Japan, Red Bull’s first vulnerability surfaced in Miami when McLaren's upgraded pace, combined with an ill-timed safety car, saw Lando Norris take a surprising lead over Verstappen. A major upgrade in Imola didn’t resolve Red Bull’s issues, as Verstappen's struggle over kerbs revealed the car’s limitations under the ground-effect regulations.

These weaknesses were glaring in Monaco, where Verstappen could only manage sixth behind rivals from Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes. Despite a gritty win in mixed conditions in Canada, Red Bull’s development progress lagged behind. An upgrade in Spain helped Verstappen edge Norris, but by then it was clear Red Bull's rivals were closing in fast.

Compounding the problem is Pérez's form. Scoring only 28 points in the last eight races, Pérez’s slump has allowed McLaren to close the gap in the constructors' standings. With McLaren gaining over six points per race since Miami, Red Bull faces a real threat as the second half of the season approaches.

McLaren

Wins: 2
Points: 366

McLaren’s mid-season surge positions them as Red Bull’s biggest threat

McLaren's slow start to the 2024 season raised doubts about their ability to build on 2023’s momentum. Those doubts were swiftly erased with a major upgrade introduced in Miami, which transformed the team into a serious contender for the constructors' title. Since that upgrade, McLaren has averaged 30.25 points per race and achieved podium finishes in 10 consecutive Grands Prix, beginning with China.

The Miami upgrade sacrificed some of McLaren’s high-speed performance but brought greater strength in slow- and medium-speed corners. That adjustment paid off spectacularly, culminating in a dominant 1-2 victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix, McLaren’s first in three years. Team principal Andrea Stella credited the car’s strong performance in the medium-speed corners of the Hungaroring for their success.

While points were lost in Canada, Britain, and Austria due to pit stop timings and a collision involving Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, McLaren’s overall car performance has positioned them as Red Bull’s closest rival. With a more versatile car than the Red Bull, which tends to excel at specific circuits, McLaren has demonstrated consistency across a variety of tracks.

Stella highlighted McLaren’s development efficiency compared to Red Bull: "Red Bull have taken trackside more developments so far... but we seem to be now in condition to cash in some of these developments that we have accrued in the ground." He hinted at further upgrades in the second half of the season, potentially making McLaren an even bigger threat in the championship race.

With their Miami upgrade proving a game-changer and more developments in the pipeline, McLaren looks set to challenge for the title as the season progresses.

Ferrari

Wins: 2
Points: 345

Ferrari's rollercoaster season leaves them fighting to keep pace

Ferrari entered the 2024 season as Red Bull’s closest rival following promising preseason testing, but they were still far off the reigning champions' pace. A Ferrari driver appeared on the podium at both opening races, and Carlos Sainz’s incredible comeback from appendicitis to lead a 1-2 finish in Australia, capitalizing on Max Verstappen’s retirement, seemed to confirm Ferrari's potential.

Sainz continued his form with a podium in Japan, but by the Chinese Grand Prix, McLaren had surged ahead as Red Bull’s primary challenger. Hopes were high for Ferrari’s own Imola upgrade, which many compared to McLaren’s game-changing Miami developments. However, while there were improvements, they weren’t enough to put Ferrari in serious contention for victories.

The team’s fortunes briefly turned in Monaco, where Charles Leclerc claimed a dominant home victory, showcasing Ferrari’s excellence in slow-speed, technical circuits. But reality struck the following week in Canada, where Ferrari faltered and walked away with no points. A fast-tracked upgrade package aimed at improving aerodynamic efficiency in Spain backfired, introducing a bouncing issue in high-speed corners and shaking driver confidence.

Ferrari reverted to an older specification for Silverstone but in doing so, conceded valuable development ground. A new floor upgrade in Hungary did little to resolve the underlying issues, cementing Ferrari’s status as the fourth-fastest team on the grid.

A brief moment of hope came in Belgium, where Leclerc’s well-timed wet-weather qualifying lap earned him pole after Verstappen’s penalty, but a lack of race pace saw him finish fourth, later upgraded to third after George Russell’s disqualification. Despite flashes of brilliance, Ferrari now finds itself battling to remain competitive as rivals McLaren and Red Bull pull away in the standings.

Mercedes

Wins: 3
Points: 266

Mercedes rebounds with three wins after rocky start to 2024

The 2024 season began in frustratingly familiar fashion for Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell struggling to break into double-figure points at most rounds. Despite making some progress over the winter, the team found itself lagging behind while rivals like Red Bull and McLaren surged ahead with performance gains. Mercedes’ car continued to suffer from a balance issue: slow-corner oversteer led to sudden snaps in high-speed sections, and attempts to fix one problem only created another, leaving the drivers uncomfortable and frustrated.

Things began to turn around at the eighth round in Monaco, where Mercedes introduced a new front wing. Though the upgrade seemed minor compared to competitors’ major developments, it proved crucial in stabilizing the car's balance. With only one wing available, Russell used it, but the slow nature of Monaco limited its impact. The real breakthrough came a week later in Canada, where Russell took pole position and finished on the podium in a race Mercedes should have won. Hamilton followed with a podium in Spain, and Russell capitalized on a collision between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen in Austria to claim Mercedes’ first victory since Brazil in 2022.

Further wins at the British and Belgian Grands Prix have propelled Mercedes to three wins in the last four races, marking a dramatic turnaround in form. Heading into the summer break, the car’s performance now looks unrecognizable compared to the early rounds of 2024.

Reflecting on the turnaround after the breakthrough in Canada, technical director James Allison admitted there wasn’t a sudden revelation. "This was more of an 'Oh God, how could we have been so dumb?!' type moment," he said. "You see the path forward and you should have seen it sooner!"

With three victories and momentum on their side, Mercedes now looks set to play a decisive role in the championship fight during the second half of the season.

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