In Monaco Grand Prix qualifying, Max Verstappen, the Red Bull driver, narrowly avoids colliding with the barrier.
Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko has revealed the team are battling correlation problems between the track and the simulator with the RB20 car after a “sobering and painful” Monaco Grand Prix qualifying display.
Red Bull have enjoyed a fine start to their latest title defence, starting the F1 2024 season with five victories from the first seven races, but have appeared increasingly vulnerable over recent weeks.
Red Bull RB20 hit by correlation problems
Last weekend at Imola, Max Verstappen managed to barely fend off Lando Norris’s impressive surge, winning the race by a mere 0.725 seconds. Despite struggling during practice, Norris had made an incredible jump from fifth on the grid to challenge Verstappen, showcasing his exceptional skills as a McLaren driver.
On Saturday, Red Bull faced more challenges in Monte Carlo as Verstappen secured a disappointing sixth place on the grid. Meanwhile, his teammate Sergio Perez was eliminated in Q1 and landed in 18th place. In contrast, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc delivered an impressive performance and seized pole position.
Verstappen expressed his frustration with the RB20’s poor handling, stating that he had to steer clear of kerbs in the middle sector and comparing the car to a go-kart.
Monaco Grand Prix qualifying analysis
Winners and losers: Sergio Perez unquestionably biggest loser in Monaco GP qualifying
Revealed: Monaco pace data shows how McLaren were actually quicker than Ferrari
In an interview with Sky Germany after the session, Marko expressed Red Bull’s disappointment at being unable to match Leclerc’s pace. Verstappen had to give up his final Q3 lap after colliding with the wall at Ste Devote.
He unveiled that the team is currently facing difficulties with correlation problems as they are unable to detect any weaknesses of the car over kerbs in Red Bull’s simulations.
“He acknowledged, ‘Leclerc’s invincibility at this track was evident to us. Nevertheless, we held on to the hope of securing a spot on the front row.'”
Although we had a quick start in the first sector, our performance declined by two or three tenths in the second sector. Consequently, Max had no choice but to take a risky approach in sector one, which unfortunately ended up being unsuccessful.
“Commencing P6 is an extremely humbling and distressing experience, particularly due to Sergio’s elimination in Q1.”
Sergio’s performance is extremely challenging, if not unattainable, to match Max’s level. However, he must aim to get closer. We need to analyze the reasons behind such a significant discrepancy.
Throughout the entire weekend, we encountered issues with the setup. Although we made some improvements, securing pole position was never within our reach.
The main issue we are facing is not limited to a specific track. The connection between the simulator and the actual track is not functioning properly. In the simulator, we can drive over the kerbs smoothly without any issues, but in reality, the car jumps unpredictably like a kangaroo.
“We need to begin from there, with the hope of rediscovering our form on genuine race tracks.”
In the Drivers’ standings, Verstappen enters the Monaco Grand Prix with a commanding 48-point advantage over Leclerc.
Read next: Christian Horner makes grim Monaco GP prediction for Max Verstappen after surprise grid slot
