In Monaco, Max Verstappen skillfully maneuvers over the kerbs.
Jos Verstappen, the father of Max Verstappen, has declared that Red Bull’s dominance of F1 “has come to an end” – and urged the team to respond to the growing threat posed by McLaren and Ferrari.
Red Bull have established themselves as F1’s dominant force since the ground effect regulations were introduced in F1 2022, with Verstappen Jr winning 49 of the last 74 races.
Jos Verstappen declares end of Red Bull F1 dominance
After an incredibly successful campaign in F1 history last year, where Red Bull triumphed in 21 out of 22 races, they were widely anticipated to secure another World Championship double in F1 2024.
Despite winning five out of the first eight races in the new season, Verstappen is now facing intensified competition from Ferrari and McLaren, as they have displayed improved speed in the past few weeks, putting pressure on Red Bull.
Verstappen faced his toughest weekend yet in Monaco, settling for a sixth-place finish. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc secured Ferrari’s second victory of F1 2024, narrowing the gap in the Drivers’ standings to 31 points behind the Dutchman.
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Max Verstappen Sr, who competed in 106 F1 races from 1994 to 2003, is now worried about the decline in Red Bull’s performance. He believes that his son’s exceptional performances have been masking some underlying issues with the Red Bull team.
He firmly believes that Red Bull’s period of dominance is coming to an end due to the increasing competition from McLaren and Ferrari.
He told Dutch publication De Telegraaf: “For sure there will be other tracks where Red Bull will do well again, but I am very curious [to see] how they will solve these problems.
“It is evident that McLaren and Ferrari are steadily approaching each other. As a result, they must address the issue and comprehend the origins of specific challenges.”
“Although Max has successfully concealed some of the issues, the noticeable disparity between him and his teammate is quite significant.”
“It appears to me that Red Bull’s era of supremacy has reached its conclusion.”
When questioned about the possibility of a title fight leading up to the Monaco Grand Prix, Verstappen Jr expressed confidence that Red Bull’s recent track record of victories would make them extremely formidable opponents in a direct competition for the World Championship.
In an interview with PlanetF1.com, he informed the media, “Our consistent presence at the forefront, along with our effective team operation, can certainly impact those teams striving to catch up.”
Our goal is to remain composed and composed even though we are aware that teams have been catching up to us or surpassing us in recent races. Naturally, we aspire to enhance our performance too.
With the experience we have gained in recent years, we have become an extremely formidable team in the Championship. Our ability to minimize mistakes makes it challenging for any opponent to defeat us.
After the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, Verstappen Sr. issued a warning that the Red Bull team could potentially collapse if Christian Horner continued to hold his position despite the dismissal of an investigation into his conduct.
The individual, aged 52, accused the Red Bull boss of assuming the role of a victim despite being the cause of the issues. They strongly urged Horner to step down from his position before the team experiences a catastrophic outcome.
After the announcement that design expert Adrian Newey would depart the team in early F1 2025, Jos Verstappen reaffirmed his previous assertions.
He expressed his fear earlier this year that the team might be on the verge of disintegrating.
Currently, the situation does not align with the imperative of retaining key individuals to maintain internal tranquility.
“Newey’s departure and the possibility of Helmut [Marko, Red Bull adviser] being dismissed earlier this year raised concerns about the future prospects, which do not appear promising.”
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