MELBOURNE. – Red Bull stand poised to shrug off its Australian Grand Prix hoodoo on Sunday and continue its domination of the Formula One world championship as rivals struggle for pace.
Red Bull has not won at Albert Park since former driver Sebastian Vettel claimed the 2011 race but there may be no stopping the constructors champions this year at the lakeside circuit.
With Max Verstappen leading a Red Bull 1-2 in Bahrain and teammate Sergio Perez flipping the order in Jeddah, Red Bull has been in a class of its own this season, with the RB19 car dazzling with its speed and showing ample reliability.
“It’s always nice to. . . experience Melbourne a little, although from a racing point of view, it is not one that has been too kind to us over the years,” said double defending champion Verstappen, who was forced to retire during last year’s race due to a fuel problem.
“The track is great with some high-speed corners, and one I enjoy driving in so hopefully we can have a good race this weekend.
“We just need it to be straightforward and consistent.”
Verstappen leads the championship by a point from Perez, who won in Saudi Arabia by holding off the Dutchman as he roared back to second from 15th on the grid.
Formula One will hope Perez can keep the pressure on Verstappen, with the other teams seemingly well behind the development curve.
An unprecedented fourth DRS Zone at Albert Park this year — between turns eight and nine on the 14-corner layout– could play further into Red Bull’s hands.
Once-dominant Mercedes, which drivers George Russell and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and fifth respectively at Jeddah, are “storming full steam ahead” to bridge the gap after realising they got their car concept wrong.
