Toto Wolff baffled by Red Bull's sudden decline in Formula 1

The Italian Grand Prix at Monza marked one of the worst races for Red Bull in recent memory, as the reigning constructors' champions struggled to maintain their usual dominance.

Max Verstappen, who started seventh on the grid, only managed to climb to sixth place, while his teammate, Sergio Perez, remained stagnant, finishing eighth after starting in the same position.

Verstappen's minor gain was largely due to George Russell's early race mishap, which saw the Mercedes driver suffer damage on the first lap, derailing his race and causing him to drop from a third-place start to a seventh-place finish.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton started sixth and improved to fifth, further highlighting Mercedes' solid performance compared to Red Bull's struggles.

Since the introduction of the new ground effects regulations in 2022, Mercedes has rarely had a better package than Red Bull.

However, Wolff believes that Verstappen had been masking Red Bull's issues with his driving skill, but their problems have now become too significant to hide. "That's really weird," Wolff commented, acknowledging Red Bull's dramatic decline since the summer break.

"That was probably one of the worst races we've seen from Red Bull in many years, to have no pace."

Wolff also pointed out that McLaren have made significant strides in the development race, particularly since the Miami Grand Prix, while the RB20 has become increasingly unsettled and unbalanced with each upgrade.

The constructors' championship lead has dwindled from 115 points after Miami to just eight points, a dramatic shift that has put McLaren in a strong position to challenge for the title.

Despite Red Bull's recent struggles, Wolff cautioned against writing them off entirely. "They are a formidable team, and I'm sure there will be better races," he said.

However, he conceded that McLaren is now the "favourite" for the constructors' championship, with both of their drivers consistently scoring points. "I bet Red Bull didn't expect that at the beginning of the year," Wolff added, reflecting on the surprising turn of events.