Red Bull, a dominant power since 2022, faces an unusual challenge. While a tremendous run in 2023 contributed to a thrilling victory, the squad has had a tough few weeks. The first 2024 race seemed to be a re-run of the previous season. However, Ferrari and McLaren hindered the team’s dream run as they moved upwards in car development. These two are the only teams that have beaten the Red Bull juggernaut in the previous year.
Internally, Red Bull is grappling with instability and key personnel departures, compounding its difficulties. This has exposed the team more in the ongoing battle of car development as rivals narrow the gap. After a disappointing performance in Monaco, Max Verstappen has openly voiced concerns about potential shortcomings in the RB20, signaling his determination to overcome these obstacles.
Red Bull’s Fundamental Weaknesses Might Jeopardize Their World Title Dream
Red Bull’s second defeat in the last three races was by far their worst showing in 2024. While the reigning world champions succumbed to pressure from Ferrari and McLaren, the team struggled on Monaco’s challenging track. The squad was comprehensively outgunned, with Max Verstappen finishing sixth in the Monaco Grand Prix. The agony began on the first lap when Sergio Perez’s car was wrecked in a collision. The Milton Keynes-based team encountered issues early in the weekend, with Verstappen and Perez discussing the car’s poor ride in FP1 and FP2. Overall, the car was slow over bumps and kerbs, and the technical team could not improve it. Furthermore, the bumps and tough kerbs with camber changes were challenging for a low-riding F1 vehicle. The RB20 has a remarkable aerodynamic configuration, but its low-to-the-ground design made it susceptible to bumpy Monte Carlo circuit challenges.
Max Verstappen explained the car’s weird behavior on medium and high-speed corners. Further, he claimed controlling the F1 car in such conditions was unpleasant, as it bounced like a ‘kangaroo.’ He pointed out the ‘fundamental issue’ that couldn’t be fixed in a few weeks. Furthermore, the three-time world champion claims the RB20 has been suffering from these issues for a long time. However, the Monaco circuit was their worst-case scenario. Ultimately, Verstappen couldn’t finish in the top five and remained out of contention for the entire weekend. After the Sunday race, he was frustrated, claiming that the technical team was unaware of the issue, making it difficult to fix. Therefore, the team must bounce back and fix the problems, as it might ruin the dream of a fourth consecutive world title triumph.
Max Verstappen Finds Silver Lining in Monaco Setback
The Monaco Grand Prix was nothing short of a nightmare for the Oracel Red Bull Racing team. While Sergio Perez was ruled out of the race after the first lp crash, Verstappen finished at P6. Moreover, the RB20 had a tough time as the stiff Monte Carlo circuit was the ‘worst-case scenario’ for the team.
However, despite a disappointing outing, Max Verstappen has pointed out the ‘only positive’ from the Monaco GP. During a media interaction, the Dutchman explained that the Monte Carlo street circuit was too narrow for F1 cars. Moreover, he feels the only positive from this weekend was that the RBR team is now aware of its weaknesses. Thus, it will help the team fix the issues in the upcoming GPs.