Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner feels “the race is pretty much done” for them in Monaco, as he predicted a “high-speed traffic jam” to break out.
The streets of Monte Carlo, by Red Bull’s own admission, were not expected to be their strongest battleground of F1 2024, but with Max Verstappen P6 on the grid and Sergio Perez P18, their task on Sunday has become a lot harder.
Monaco GP ‘pretty much done’ for Red Bull
Verstappen collided with the wall at Sainte Devote on his last Q3 lap, while Horner acknowledged that securing a position as high as P2 on the grid was feasible. However, he acknowledged that the Championship leaders had experienced difficulties throughout the entire weekend.
In his home race at Monaco, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari secured his third pole position.
“To be honest with you, it has been a constant struggle throughout the entire weekend,” Horner mentioned to Sky F1.
“The car does not possess the qualities suitable for this circuit.”
However, prior to that final run, we were still unsure. I believe we wouldn’t have surpassed Charles today, but we had a chance of finishing anywhere from second to sixth place. Regrettably, we missed out on that last run.
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When questioned about whether street tracks like Monaco and Singapore bring attention to existing problems with the Red Bull machinery, Horner responded by saying that it is a matter that they must comprehend. However, Horner believes that for Monaco in 2024, Red Bull will require significant assistance to regain their competitiveness.
Horner commented, “Today, our performance in the initial sector was quite impressive. However, we struggled in the tight hairpin and Turns 5 and 10.”
“We will learn from today’s experience and, unless there are unexpected incidents like safety cars, tomorrow’s race is essentially determined. However, we will return tomorrow with renewed determination.”
“I believe that our race pace during the long run yesterday was quite impressive, which gives me confidence for tomorrow’s race. However, it remains uncertain whether we will have the opportunity to showcase our performance due to the unpredictable nature of traffic.”
“Well, I have to say, congratulations to Charles. He has shown remarkable strength throughout all the sessions. However, we will put forth our utmost effort to make significant progress tomorrow.”
When asked about the likelihood of receiving numerous frustrated radio messages from Verstappen and Perez on Sunday, Horner responded, “Yes, I believe we will be caught in a high-speed traffic congestion for at least the first quarter of the race.”
This race is quite frustrating for the drivers due to the large size of the cars. Overtaking is nearly impossible unless the car in front commits a major error.
In the latest three Monaco GPs, Red Bull emerged victorious with Verstappen taking the crown in 2023 and 2021, while Perez claimed the win in 2022.
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