Max Verstappen Voices Concerns Over Red Bull’s Performance at the Dutch Grand Prix
Max Verstappen has openly expressed his discontent regarding the competitive dynamic between Red Bull Racing and its sister team, Racing Bulls, during the recent Dutch Grand Prix. The championship-winning driver stated that the situation, in which both teams were battling for position on the track, “shouldn’t be happening.”
Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, the Racing Bulls Formula 1 driver, found themselves running in third and fourth places, respectively, trailing behind the McLaren duo for the majority of the race held at Zandvoort. The final podium positions were ultimately determined by a late retirement from Lando Norris, which allowed both Verstappen and Hadjar to ascend to the podium.
“Of course, I’m happy to be on the podium, but when it comes to our speed, it wasn’t impressive,” Verstappen remarked during an interview with Dutch F1 broadcaster Viaplay. He acknowledged that his starting position of third was largely a consequence of qualifying results, emphasizing that his car’s performance during the race left much to be desired.
Despite finishing the race on soft tires, while the McLarens opted for harder compounds, Verstappen’s fastest lap still fell short by 0.650 seconds compared to race winner Oscar Piastri’s time. “McLaren is on another level,” he lamented, indicating a significant performance gap.
Race Dynamics and Performance Issues
At the start of the race, Verstappen temporarily secured second place from Norris but was closely followed by Hadjar throughout the event. The gap between the two Red Bull-affiliated cars never exceeded three seconds during the green-flag conditions, which raised alarm bells for the reigning world champion regarding the competitiveness of his vehicle.
“The entire race, we were essentially battling with our sister team based on sheer pace,” he pointed out, highlighting the unusual nature of the competition. “That shouldn’t be happening.”
Verstappen acknowledged that the team is aware of the ongoing performance issues with their car. Throughout the season, Red Bull has faced challenges in maximizing the full potential of the RB21 due to constricted setup windows, which limit their ability to optimize the car’s performance effectively.
During the Zandvoort race, Verstappen opted for an alternative strategy, avoiding the hard tire compound that had performed poorly during Friday’s practice sessions. He described the hard tires as feeling “terrible,” stating, “Absolutely no mechanical grip.” Despite other teams successfully utilizing this tire, he noted that Red Bull struggled significantly, contributing to their overall performance deficiencies.
Tire Strategy and Mechanical Grip
The 27-year-old driver elaborated on his tire strategy, explaining that he chose to use soft and medium compounds, as they provided better mechanical grip in slower corners where the team had previously struggled. “The car is just not fast enough,” he asserted, mentioning that he frequently found himself having to conserve speed in fast corners.
Verstappen’s comments reveal a deeper concern about the car’s performance in various aspects of racing. He acknowledged that while the vehicle performed decently during qualifying, it lacked competitive pace during the race itself, which is crucial for securing points and maintaining a championship challenge.
Title Aspirations and Team Dynamics
As the season progresses, it appears that Verstappen and Red Bull Racing may be facing their first title-less season since 2020. In stark contrast, Racing Bulls has demonstrated marked improvement, already amassing 60 points—its best tally since an exceptional 2021 season.
Back then, Pierre Gasly made a remarkable 18 appearances in Q3 and achieved 12 top-seven finishes. He was instrumental in contributing to the team’s total of 142 points that season. However, Red Bull was competing for the championship, which prevented the two teams from directly contending against one another.
This season has showcased a different scenario, as Red Bull’s second car has struggled to deliver meaningful results, regardless of the driver’s identity. Yuki Tsunoda, the current driver of the second car, managed to break a seven-race streak without points at Zandvoort. However, he consistently recorded lap times that were one second slower than Hadjar, an issue compounded by traffic on the track.
Conclusion
Verstappen’s candid remarks regarding the state of Red Bull Racing highlight significant concerns over the team’s performance amidst challenges from their sister team. While podium finishes are noteworthy, the underlying issues with speed and tire performance underscore a need for improvement as the season continues. The team’s ability to navigate these challenges will be crucial in the upcoming races as they strive for competitive excellence in Formula 1.
