The 2024 season for Red Bull has been like a rainy day with sunshine. While the team enjoys a comfortable lead on the points table, the internal mayhem is still smouldering. The Milton Keynes-based outfit stepped in this year with plenty of hopes and expectations. It was due to their past domination, as RBR seemed untouchable in the last two seasons. However, a political power struggle divided the squad into two factions, and critical members started leaving.
However, the team’s on-track performance has not been compromised, thanks to Max Verstappen’s excellence. Although the domination has lost some magnitude, the team is still a top contender to clinch the trophy. After a series of struggles on street circuits, the Red Bull team would be looking to regain the domination on a conventional track of Barcelona. However, the starlet Verstappen feels otherwise.
Verstappen Sees Repeating Early Season Dominance As A Distant Dream
Although the Milton Keynes squad has a substantial lead, the chasing groups are closer than ever. As a result, teams like McLaren and Ferrari have aspired to take the throne, which currently belongs to the Austrian outfit. However, the following teams are anxious that the F1 venue in Barcelona will return to a more conventional circuit. The RB20 struggled with bumps and kerbs on city circuits, but rivals believe it would shine at the Barcelona track. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is a standard circuit featuring a variety of bends. As a result of its low-riding inclination, every F1 expert predicted that the RB20 would perform better on a classic track.
However, to everyone’s disbelief, Max Verstappen believes otherwise. The three-time world champion revealed details about his forthcoming campaign. Although he said the squad is thrilled to return to a conventional circuit, it may face stiff competition from the pursuing groups. Furthermore, he stated that reestablishing comparable dominance at the start of the season would be impossible. Moreover, the Dutchman emphasized the fierce automotive development battle in which competitors were catching up. Concurrently, he stated that the squad is not under pressure but recognizes the necessity of having a strong weekend as the competition heats up. Finally, he addressed the issues during Friday practice sessions, emphasizing the need to start the weekend clean.
A Mixed Friday Outing For Red Bull As Its FP Session Woes Continues
As Verstappen stated, the Red Bull team has been unable to start the weekend on a high note. Irrespective of the GP result, the RBR has always struggled to understand the FP sessions. As a result, the Dutchman always comes out disappointed after the short run.
Moreover, Verstappen clocked decent times during the first academy practice, lagging behind Lando Norris. But, the FP2 session went in a different direction. Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time, while Verstappen lost three-tenths of a second in the middle sector.