Max Verstappen's Shock Admission: Red Bull's Hidden Weakness Exposed in Monaco

Max Verstappen, the formidable Red Bull driver, has candidly admitted that the team’s struggle with kerbs has been laid bare at the Monaco Grand Prix, as rivals continue to catch up. Heading into the weekend, Verstappen was already wary of Monte Carlo’s unique challenges potentially highlighting Red Bull’s vulnerabilities.

The Dutch champion grappled throughout practice sessions but seemed more competitive as qualifying commenced. It appeared he was a genuine contender for the pole position. However, a brush with the barrier at Turn 1 meant he only managed to qualify sixth, with teammate Sergio Perez being eliminated in Q1.

Qualifying Struggles

Reflecting on his performance, Verstappen said, “I mean, I felt quite comfortable. In terms of medium to high speed, the car is quite quick, but everywhere there are bumps, it was just jumping around a lot. So I’m driving around that, trying to optimise everything, really difficult to control, so I was surprised for most of qualifying that we were quite close.”

Verstappen added that he wasn’t disappointed with his laps, noting the team’s positions as evidence of the challenges they faced. “Checo is very good around a street circuit, he comes alive there. I think it already says enough that he’s in that position, so I cannot be disappointed with P6 in that sense.”

Set-Up Challenges

Verstappen revealed that despite exhausting numerous set-up options throughout the weekend, the kerbs continued to unsettle his RB20. “Yeah, I mean, we tried a lot of things on the car, literally nothing made it better, so you’re just stuck,” he explained. “Not much you can do.”

The reigning champion went on to highlight the second sector as particularly troublesome due to the car’s inability to handle kerb strikes. “Just because I can’t touch any kerbs as it just upsets the car too much, just lose a lot of lap time and incredibly difficult,” he said.

Despite attempts to soften the suspension, Verstappen likened the car’s handling to “running without suspension,” saying it jumped around a lot and couldn’t absorb kerb strikes or bumps. “It’s jumping around a lot, not absorbing kerb strikes or bumps or camber changes. The last corner, I think the amount of times I just jumped almost into the wall is incredible,” he continued.

Long-standing Issues

Verstappen admitted that the kerb issue isn’t new, and has plagued Red Bull since the 2022 regulations came into effect. “Of course, for the last years, we had a car advantage, and it gets masked a little bit as we gain a bit in the corners where the kerbs and the bumps are the limitations,” he conceded.

But with Ferrari and McLaren closing the gap this season, Verstappen admits that Red Bull’s weak point has come into sharper focus. “With everyone catching up, naturally when you’re not improving your weakest point, you get found out, and that’s what happened this weekend.”

Looking Ahead

As for what’s possible in the race, Verstappen, a two-time Monaco Grand Prix winner, was uncertain. “F*** knows! I mean I’m pushing flat out. Yeah, the car is just super tricky, went into Turn 1, suddenly I go over the bumps, and it just snaps on you. There’s nothing that was a big mistake, but the car is literally on an ice edge to drive, it is what it is,” he summed up.

In summary, the Monaco Grand Prix has laid bare an ongoing issue for Red Bull and Max Verstappen. While they have historically had a car advantage that masked their kerb-handling problems, increasingly competitive rivals have now revealed this glaring weakness. As the season progresses, it remains to be seen how Red Bull will address this challenge to stay at the forefront of Formula 1.