Max Verstappen, the Red Bull driver, showcasing his skills in the RB20 on the racetrack.
Having suffered in Monaco where he complained of headaches and could only qualify P6, Max Verstappen says a redesign “might” be needed but that Red Bull “can’t do that” with the budget cap.
Red Bull had a strong grip on the first two seasons during Formula 1’s ground-effect aerodynamic era. However, this year, the competition, particularly Ferrari and McLaren, have significantly closed the distance.
Max Verstappen warns Red Bull fix ‘will take time’
The exposure of a major vulnerability in the Red Bull F1 car lies in its suspension.
While other teams dealt with porpoising and bouncing in the first two seasons of the new regulations, Red Bull didn’t have to worry about that such was their pace advantage over the chasing pack.
Nevertheless, with their rivals closing in, they have, as Verstappen put it, been exposed, facing difficulties over the kerbs at Imola and experiencing even worse challenges in Monaco.
He ended up in sixth place during qualifying, leaving his teammate Sergio Perez even further behind as he couldn’t even advance from Q1. Unfortunately, Verstappen couldn’t improve his position during the race.
He is concerned that the problem can only be resolved through a redesign, but it is improbable to occur within F1’s budget limit.
“In Montreal,” he informed the media, “it is a time-consuming process. Redesigning components, brainstorming innovative ideas for the vehicle – it’s all part of the ongoing work.”
Since the implementation of the new regulations, this issue has persisted from the very beginning, and despite our awareness, we have been unable to resolve it thus far.
“After Monaco, it definitely served as a wake-up call for us. Following some productive meetings and discussions at the factory, I sense a renewed emphasis on addressing those areas for improvement.”
It seems that as everyone catches up, relying on your advantage is no longer possible, even if your kerb riding skills are lacking. Therefore, it is crucial to address and rectify this issue.
However, it does require some time to implement significant changes to the car. For instance, certain aspects of our design may need to be redesigned. Unfortunately, this becomes challenging due to the budget cap.
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Expecting another difficult weekend in Montreal, although it was Red Bull’s ERS issues that blighted his day on a rainy Friday, Verstappen insists it is not all doom and gloom for Red Bull.
He expressed his belief that we can achieve success this year if everything falls into place. However, currently, we need to experiment with a few strategies to determine the most effective approach.
“And then, undoubtedly, I believe that certain things may undergo changes next year that could be more challenging to address this year. However, I remain optimistic and certain that we can already improve our performance this year.”
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