Champion racer Max Verstappen is visibly frustrated after a string of low scores. The Dutch driver has not won a race in his last four outings, a rare occurrence in the previous few years. Thus, Verstappen is unhappy with the persistent technical woes of the RB20. An F1 car that initially appeared to be the fastest now seems like a mediocre racing machine. Further, the rivals have caught up with the pace, leaving no space for errors.
As a result, McLaren is steadily closing the gap with the leaders, climbing towards the top of the standings. Therefore, it is the eleventh hour for the technical team to find a solution to a problematic RB20. The RBR triple champion opened up about his teammate and the Belgian GP in a recent media interaction.
Max Verstappen Outlines The RB20 Woes After A Downhill Battle In Belgium
Max Verstappen emphasized that the team’s main concern should be the car’s performance rather than Sergio Perez’s future. Verstappen noted that Perez had a positive weekend overall, but the race highlighted ongoing issues with tire life. He believes that addressing these tire difficulties should be the team’s top priority.
Moreover, the Dutch racer observed that while the car’s balance was manageable during the first few laps, running in traffic complicated matters and contributed to their struggles. The team was not faster than the cars around them, resulting in getting stuck in the DRS train. Despite these challenges, Verstappen felt that the team maximized their performance for the day.
Starting from P11, the RBR triple champion knew it would be a race focused on damage limitation. However, he managed to extend his lead in the championship, turning what could have been a day of losses into a positive outcome. He acknowledged that with their current pace, starting from P1 would have meant fighting for the win, but given the circumstances, the day was still a success.
Sergio Perez Refutes From Answering Any Future Related Questions
Sergio Perez started second on the grid at the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix, but his race quickly unraveled. After the race, Perez expressed his disappointment, explaining that he struggled significantly throughout the event. He noted that he had to save battery early in the race, which weakened his performance on the straights. Once he managed to recharge the battery, he was able to match the pace of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, staying close to them for a while.
However, the situation worsened during the second stint when Perez switched to medium tyres. The heavy traffic behind him made it difficult to maintain his position. The shorter stint and out-of-sync strategy compounded the problem, and the car’s balance was off, leading to further tyre issues.
Perez acknowledged that there were many aspects to analyze, particularly the impressive pace of the Mercedes and the inability to match the Ferraris. He expressed confusion over the decision to run a shorter stint and felt the strategy was compromised by having only two sets of medium tyres. Perez emphasized the need for the team to come together, understand what went wrong, and learn from the experience to improve in future races. Ultimately, when asked about his future, the Mexican racer made it clear he won’t entertain any more questions about his F1 future.