Max Verstappen entered this season as a strong contender for a fourth consecutive world title, having dominated the sport for nearly two years and leaving his rivals in the dust. His remarkable driving skills and Red Bull’s technical superiority contributed to his success. However, the situation has dramatically changed, as the RB20 is no longer the fastest car on the grid.
This shift has complicated Verstappen’s pursuit of another Driver’s Championship. While he still holds a significant lead over Lando Norris, that advantage could diminish rapidly if the RB20 struggles on performance. Amid all the chaos, Verstappen predicted the Singapore GP to be a tough race, highlighting all the challenges.
“We’ll See Where We End Up,” Verstappen Highlight Challenges For Upcoming GPs
Ahead of the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, Max Verstappen acknowledged that the upcoming weekend might not be the easiest for Red Bull. He reflected on last year’s race, recognizing that there were areas for improvement that the team would aim to address this time around. Although he doesn’t expect it to be one of their strongest weekends, Verstappen is hopeful that recent adjustments made during the Baku race have helped stabilize the car’s performance. He noted that while the Singapore circuit is bumpier than Baku, he is optimistic about the car’s ability to handle the conditions.
Moreover, the Dutchman highlighted that one of the team’s ongoing challenges is the car’s performance on uneven surfaces and curbs, which are prevalent at the Singapore track. He recalled his difficulties from the previous year, when he narrowly missed out on qualifying for Q3. This time, he is determined to improve and aims to secure a place in the top qualifying session, even though he acknowledges that competition has intensified.
As the season progresses with seven races remaining, Verstappen emphasized that his focus is on enhancing the car’s speed and balance rather than mentally preparing for a title fight. He believes that if he and the team can improve performance, they will once again be competitive. His priority is to find more speed and simplify their challenges on the track.
Red Bull’s Constructors Cup Hopes Hinges On The Upcoming Floor Upgrade
The technical team adjusted the RB30’s tunnel geometry as part of their latest effort to enhance performance. Chief engineer Paul Monaghan referred to this adjustment as a “subtle change.” However, it was not anticipated to yield significant results on a track like Baku since the goal of the upgrade was to expand the car’s operational window.
In contrast, this upgrade is expected to be more beneficial on tracks such as COTA (United States), Lusail (Qatar), and Interlagos (Brazil), which feature a more comprehensive range of corner speeds. Helmut Marko is optimistic that the RB20 will excel on these upcoming “flowing” circuits. The limited time available between the Monza and Baku races necessitated the subtle change, but further developments are planned for the next race in Singapore. A positive takeaway for the Milton Keynes team is their quick understanding of the underlying issues, enabling them to respond swiftly. As a result, they anticipate more substantial improvements on the tracks that suit their upgrades.
