Verstappen: 'Car is now harder to drive'
Max Verstappen has expressed growing concerns over Red Bull's car performance, noting that it has become increasingly challenging to handle. He described the car as "more difficult to drive," pointing to persistent balance issues.
As McLaren surges ahead, the reigning champions face an unexpected mid-season slump.
Red Bull the dominant force in Formula 1's early 2024 season, finds itself in unfamiliar territory as the team grapples with mysterious balance issues plaguing its once-unbeatable car.
Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion, has voiced concerns over an unknown problem that has gradually eroded the team's performance advantage.
The Milton Keynes-based outfit's struggles became glaringly apparent at the Dutch Grand Prix, where Verstappen finished a distant second to McLaren's Lando Norris.
This defeat on home soil marked a significant turning point in Red Bull's campaign, highlighting the extent of their current predicament.
Unraveling the mystery
Verstappen, known for his candid assessments,
"It wasn't there in the first few races, but something in the car has made it more difficult to drive,"
he explained post-race at Zandvoort. The Dutch driver's frustration was palpable as he described the elusive nature of the problem.
The issues first surfaced in May when Red Bull encountered difficulties on bumpier circuits, with Monaco proving particularly challenging.
However, Verstappen revealed that subsequent races have exposed further balance problems, a stark contrast to the car's previous strength in this area.
"The whole weekend has been the same limitations. I had pretty much the same balance from FP1 all the way to the race, so it's just very hard to solve at the moment,"
Verstappen elaborated, underlining the persistent nature of the problem.
Impact on performance and tire management
Red Bull's struggles extend beyond pure pace, affecting their traditionally strong tire management. Verstappen noted,
"It just seems like we are too slow, but also quite bad on degradation at the moment. That's a bit weird because I think the last few years normally we've been quite good on that."
This unexpected weakness in tire preservation has compounded Red Bull's difficulties, allowing rivals like McLaren to capitalize and close the performance gap.
A disconnected balance
One of the most perplexing aspects of Red Bull's current situation is what Verstappen describes as a "disconnected balance."
The Dutch driver explained,
"It's just not a connected balance, front or rear."
This lack of harmony between the front and rear of the car has made it increasingly challenging for Verstappen to extract maximum performance from the RB20.
The severity of the issue became evident during the Dutch Grand Prix when Verstappen found himself powerless to defend against Norris's overtake.
"At one point, nothing was turning or responding anymore,"
Verstappen recounted, highlighting the car's diminishing responsiveness as the race progressed.
Comments ()