Red Bull has got what it was looking for in terms of a much coveted constructors’ world championship and back-to-back drivers’ titles for Max Verstappen.
However, the manner in which this has been achieved as well as the narrative that has been put out in front of the public has done little to appease the Red Bull management.
While Max Verstappen’s maiden world championship in 2021 was under the cloud of a dubious decision made by race director Michael Masi in the season-defining final race in Abu Dhabi, 2022 also presented opportunity for suspicion.
Red Bull overspent on its budget cap in a report that was confirmed by the FIA. Although the team incurred both a financial and sporting penalty in its aftermath, their wins have not been celebrated in a way that one would usually expect.
This is an unexpected situation, since most fans were hoping to see Mercedes’ monopoly over the titles since the start of the Hybrid Era come to an end.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner believes his team is being made into a ‘cheap target’ and was critical of the way the media has handled the situation.
Former F1 world champion David Coulthard believes that Red Bull must learn to live with this criticism as it is justified.
“Obviously, Red Bull and Christian are going to be sensitive to any criticism of what they do, because it’s personal,” he said.
“When it comes to the media, they all have the right to interpret the scenario and events based on their particular vantage point.”
Will Red Bull enjoy a prolonged period at the top?
Coulthard said that it is natural for dominant teams to face a lot of hate and this is exactly what Mercedes had to deal with for the past 9 years.
It is a good time for F1 though as the sport was waiting for a worthy competitor to challenge the Mercedes supremacy in recent years.
Red Bull has not only proven its credentials, it also boasts of arguably the greatest talent on the circuit in Max Verstappen.
This isn’t the first time Red Bull has enjoyed such a phase in F1 though, with Sebastian Vettel proving to be their last knight in shining armour.
The German had won four back-to-back titles for the Austrian sports drink company and for however likeable he was, fans were hoping for that run to come to an end as well and for a new champion to emerge.
Competition is what makes any sport tick and in that respect, F1 might be about to enjoy a golden period, with Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari all looking to clinch top honours.