Max Verstappen Blasts Red Bull's Car Building Woes - Can the 7-Time Champions Fix Their F1 Crisis?
It appears that the seemingly impenetrable armor of Red Bull's F1 dominance is starting to show some cracks. The 2024 season has highlighted some unexpected challenges for the 7-time constructors' champions. This year’s RB20 chassis is struggling more with bumps than its competitors, and the once stark performance advantage of the 2023 RB19 now feels like a distant memory. The Monaco Grand Prix served as the culmination of these troubles, marking Red Bull's first winless race since 2019, with Max Verstappen ending up in a lackluster sixth place.
“It is a fundamental problem, so it's not something that will be fixed within weeks,” Verstappen confided in a motorsport.com/f1/news/verstappen-red-bull-clearly-doesnt-understand-f1-bump-weakness/10617076/" target="_blank">Motorsport interview. “We need to understand what it is because we clearly don’t understand it.”
“But we will work hard to find the problem and then try to get rid of it. I don’t know if we can do it this year, but hopefully for next year.”
Bumpy Road Ahead for Verstappen
The 2024 season has been anything but a smooth ride for Verstappen. His plan to secure another comfortable points lead has been derailed by unexpected issues. With a retirement in Australia and lackluster performances in Miami and Monaco, his lead is far from secure. Additionally, his teammate Sergio Perez has also struggled mightily, heightening the pressure within the team.
“Any track that is bumpy or where you have to ride a lot of curbs, like the street circuits, will probably be a little bit tricky but hopefully by then we will have some understanding of what is going on,” Verstappen continued to reveal.
Notable Street Circuits Pose a Significant Threat
The calendar doesn't offer much respite either. With Canada, Azerbaijan, Singapore, and Las Vegas all featuring street circuits, Verstappen's slender 31-point lead over Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc could easily evaporate. A couple of poor finishes could spell disaster, making each race a high-stakes affair.
There’s also the looming threat of Ferrari and McLaren progressively closing the performance gap. If their current trajectory holds, Red Bull could face serious competition. However, it’s also possible that Red Bull could fix their issues in the coming rounds, rendering this whole situation moot.
The Possibilities are Endless
This season could serve as a fascinating chapter in F1 history, with potential for unexpected twists and turns. Will Red Bull solve their problems and reaffirm their dominance, or is this the year we witness new titans rise? Time will tell, but race fans around the globe are undoubtedly leaning in, eager to see how it unfolds.