Brawn: "Red Bull can't count on these gifts from their rivals"

Verstappen was unstoppable

"Max and Red Bull were in top form in Monaco," says Brawn in his column on F1.com. "I don’t know what would have happened in qualifying if it had run its full course and whether or not Max might have taken pole – but in the race, he was imperious."

Verstappen was suddenly allowed to start at the front on the streets of Monte Carlo after Charles Leclerc' s retirement and made perfect use of it. He only had to fend off Valtteri Bottas at the start, although the Finn also crashed out later on.

Mercedes had a serious 'off-day'

"Mercedes won’t have off weekends very often so Red Bull can’t rely on these gifts from their rivals. But if Red Bull are to stand a chance of winning the titles this year, it’s vital that they take their opportunities – and they did just that in Monaco as Mercedes struggled," Brawn continued.

Brawn recognises that it will be a tough battle between Red Bull and Mercedes. Before Monaco, the Austrians were well behind in the Constructors' standings, but their rivals' lousy weekend has seen Red Bull close the gap and overtake Mercedes.