Verstappen's Struggles Continue: A Deep Dive into Recent Races
Max Verstappen, the reigning Formula 1 champion, has been facing a challenging period, failing to secure a victory in the last three races. Despite maintaining a substantial 76-point lead in the championship, he acknowledges that Red Bull needs to improve their approach to remain dominant.
During the recent Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen finished in fifth place, a result that highlighted some underlying struggles. A collision-induced strategy issue impacted his performance, causing him to lose crucial track positions to competitors such as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc during pit stops.
Verstappen's frustration was palpable on the team radio. "No mate, don't give me that s--- now. You guys gave me this s--- strategy, OK? I'm trying to rescue what's left. F---," he exclaimed. This level of candidness is not unusual for Verstappen, who later defended his outspokenness: "I don't think we need to apologize; I just think we need to do a better job. I don't know why people think that you cannot be vocal on the radio. I mean, this is a sport. If some people don't like that, then they can stay home."
Red Bull had introduced new upper bodywork and a revised front wing on Verstappen's RB20 in Hungary, hoping to gain a competitive edge. However, Verstappen remarked, "For sure the upgrades work, but we're still not first, right? So we need more. It's as simple as that." This sentiment was echoed by Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who noted, "I think we've got more performance to bring. We need to expand that operating window for the car, so when the car is in the right window it qualifies on pole by four tenths like it did in Austria."
Verstappen's admission that he's pushing harder than last year yet not achieving great lap times is telling. "I feel like I probably push harder than I did last year, but it's just not coming anymore to have these great lap times. So I guess it just means that we are a bit slower. So we have work to do. Simple as that."
The Spa-Francorchamps circuit offers a glimmer of hope for Red Bull, as it is anticipated to be a better venue for their car. Verstappen mentioned his belief in the potential the team has: "We didn't have the pace to fight McLaren today but then I think we could still have had a P3." This more optimistic outlook is a pivot from his earlier comments about the team’s synchronization issues: "I already said yesterday maybe some people are not on the same wavelength."
Looking forward, the focus remains on tightening Red Bull's strategy and car performance. Verstappen’s blunt assessment, "It's quite impressive how we let ourselves get undercut. It's completely f---ed my race," underscores the critical need for the team to address these gaps swiftly.
The road ahead is fraught with challenges. Still, both Verstappen and Horner believe in the team’s capability to reclaim their top spot. As the season progresses, all eyes will be on Red Bull to see if they can harmonize their efforts and convert their potential into consistent race-winning performance.