The frustrations are building in the Red Bull camp after the reigning champion Max Verstappen was forced to retire for the second time this season. Red Bull’s newest car, RB18, has hindered Verstappen’s aggressive driving style. Max fell to the sixth spot on the drivers’ championship rankings with 25 points after his retirement in Albert Park Circuit. Moreover, Max is struggling to catch up with Ferrari’s rankings leader Charles Leclerc, who will head to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Italy with a 46 points lead over Verstappen.
Further, the 24-year-old is feeling the heat within the team as his mate Sergio Perez is standing two positions ahead of the reigning world champ. Perez is positioned in the drivers’ rankings at the fourth spot with 30 points. Perez finished second in Melbourne and fourth in Saudi Arabia. Amongst all the pressure, his emotions could set off if he does not win a race soon. Max is known for his fiery temper. And Red Bull’s team advisor Helmut Marko described the young Dutchman as a “time bomb” which would be ready to detonate if he did not win a Grand Prix in the near future.
Verstappen seems to have his cool this season. However, he will not be able to keep his emotions in check if his RB18 lets him down one more time. It has been a shaky start for the 2021 world champ’s quest to defend his title after failing to finish the races in Bahrain in Australia. Luckily, Verstappen managed to win his first race in Saudi Arabia, or things could have been completely different right now.
Verstappen’s New Found Calm Proportional To His Success On The Track
Ferrari’s Helmut Marko told ORF that Verstappen has been a lot calmer this season. Marko revealed that Max returned to the pit box after his retirement in Australia after a suspected fuel leak. The duo discussed the issues calmly as Marko informed that the team was aware of the possibility of a problem. Moreover, Max faced the same issue during the qualifying rounds. So, the fuel leak issue did not come as a big surprise to Red Bull.
Meanwhile, Helmut added that Max is an emotional and passionate driver who always expresses his opinions. However, Red bull’s advisor admitted that the Dutchman looked a lot calmer this season than in the past. However, Marko also pointed out that Verstappen is indeed a time bomb if Red Bull does not win again soon.
Helmut said that the car’s setup is not compatible with Verstappen’s extreme driving style. Hence, Perez has come much closer to Max this season than in the past. Hopefully, Red Bull and Verstappen secure a win at Emilia Romagna on April 24.