The Red Bull team quashed the competitors at the beginning of 2024. Riding on the momentum of 2023, the team appeared unstoppable. The F1 fans witnessed a replica of last season, as Max Verstappen won every race while Sergio Perez was just behind him. However, things took a drastic turn since Verstappen’s defeat in the Miami GP. The McLaren squad devised a master plan to wither down the reigning champions.
Since then, rivals have emerged as tough competitors, while RBR’s technical cycle hit a blockade. This has diminished the Austrian outfit’s domination, as both the World Titles are threatened. Therefore, Jos Verstappen bluntly criticized the Bulls after a crushing loss at the Dutch GP.
Helmut Marko Agrees With Jos As Red Bull Performance Takes A Dip
Speaking to De Telegraaf after the 2024 F1 Dutch Grand Prix, Jos Verstappen criticized Red Bull’s recent development efforts, pointing out that the earlier version of the RB20 car was superior. He suggested that the need to revert to an older car setup highlights significant flaws in their development progress. Verstappen Sr. firmly stated that the team must reassess their approach, urging them to critically examine their performance and make necessary improvements.
Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko concurred with Jos Verstappen’s critical assessment of the team’s recent decline in performance. Speaking to De Telegraaf, Marko admitted that the team was caught off guard by the significant gap between Red Bull and McLaren at the Dutch Grand Prix. He also highlighted that Max Verstappen’s car setup was not ideal and noted that Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, was faster after a pit stop. Ultimately, Marko emphasized the need for the team to thoroughly analyze what went wrong and address the issues to regain their competitive edge.
McLaren Chief Confident In Lando Norris Winning Every Race In The Second Half Of 2024
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella expressed confidence in Lando Norris’s ability to replicate Sebastian Vettel’s remarkable 2013 feat by winning every race in the second half of the 2024 season. Following Norris’s victory at the Dutch Grand Prix, Stella drew parallels to Vettel’s achievement, where the former four-time world champion won nine consecutive races after the summer break to secure his fourth straight title.
Heading into the Dutch Grand Prix, Norris was trailing three-time world champion Max Verstappen by 78 points, with ten races and three Sprint events remaining in the season. Despite the points gap, Stella remained optimistic about Norris’s chances, emphasizing that McLaren had already been competitive in the Constructors’ Championship even before this event. He encouraged the team to stay focused and believe in the possibility of overtaking Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship, inspired by Vettel’s historic run in 2013.
