The curse, which has been following the Silver Arrows until now, has somehow entangled the reigning champion, Red Bull. The team has been in a swamp of struggles for the past few months, starting from the chaotic internal power tussle. Moreover, their performance has been hit by an invisible issue, as others suddenly appear faster than the RBR squad.
Meanwhile, amid all the struggle, Red Bull starlet Max Verstappen received bad news ahead of the Belgian GP. The triple champion would have to endure a penalty for breaching the FIA’s power unit limit.
FIA Ruffles Verstappen’s Feathers With Massive Belgian GP Penalty
Since the beginning of the Hungary weekend, the McLarens have shown a pace advantage and were superior to the Red Bull. However, Red Bull appeared competitive on the hard tyre, following vehicles closely in the heat-reduced tyre performance. Furthermore, the Dutchman blamed his failure to earn a third-place finish on a flawed approach. He hadn’t debriefed with his team about the strategy decisions, so he couldn’t comprehend or justify why the focus was on McLaren rather than protecting Mercedes. Reflecting on the race, Verstappen acknowledged the complexity of the position, adding that while they lacked the speed to challenge McLaren, a P3 finish was still attainable. However, poor strategy decisions put him at a disadvantage, requiring him to continuously struggle and pass other drivers, which did not pan out in the end. The track conditions exacerbated the difficulty, as the heat forced the tyres to overheat while following other vehicles, negating whatever tyre advantage he may have had.
To further aggravate his woes, the FIA has issued a massive penalty for the Dutchman ahead of the Belgian GP. The RBR triple champion has used four internal combustion engines, two control electronics, and energy stores. Thus, Verstappen was on the edge of getting a grid drop, which, according to the reports, the Red Bull team would take in the upcoming Belgian weekend. He will be equipped with a new ICE, breaching the limit for one season, resulting in a 10-grid place penalty for the Spa-Francorchamps event. The track has been the favorite place for the teams to take the penalty due to its high probability of overtaking zones.
Was ‘Lack Of Sleep’ The Real Reason Behind Verstappen’s Outburst?
Following the Hungary Grand Prix, Red Bull’s motorsport consultant Helmut Marko addressed claims that Max Verstappen’s performance was damaged by late-night sim racing. The top RBR advisor denied the accusations, noting that Verstappen remained up even longer in Imola and still won the race.
Furthermore, he underlined that Verstappen has a unique routine and that his late bedtime is rare for him. Furthermore, Marko stated that the triple champion did not even wake up at 10 a.m. at Zandvoort, despite helicopters circling over his campervan, showing that he slept normally.
