Jos Verstappen paints gloomy Red Bull Monza picture in fresh criticism
By Michelle,
2024-08-31
Max Verstappen in action at Monza
Falling short of the top ten in FP2 at Monza, Jos Verstappen has criticised Red Bull for standing still, and “standing still is going backwards” in F1.
Having dominated last year’s championship with 19 wins in 22 races, this season Max Verstappen is sitting on seven from 15 and hasn’t won one of the last five Grands Prix.
‘Red Bull has kind of stayed put and the rest have got stronger’
It’s an unexpected stat with one having to go back to 2020 for the last time he recorded a five-race or longer winless streak.
The fifth of his current run was at the Dutch Grand Prix, a race that Verstappen had won the last three years running but this season he lost by 23 seconds to Lando Norris.
“No, we all didn’t expect that,” Jos Verstappen told the Coen en Sander Show . “It was also a huge disappointment that that happened, so to speak.
“He’s definitely combative, but after the race he was fairly ‘done’ about it, especially because we [Red Bull] just didn’t get it right.”
In a notable swing in momentum, it is now McLaren who have the fastest car on the grid with Red Bull falling to second. On Friday at Monza, though, they weren’t even in the top ten.
Italian Grand Prix data: Who came out on top in Monza practice
“First of all, I think all the updates that have been brought this year, that they have not brought what they thought they would bring,” said the former F1 driver.
“And because of that, you do stand still a bit – and the others are making big strides anyway. And standing still is going backwards, certainly in Formula 1.”
Added to that, the Dutchman revealed his son raised his concerns about the balance of the RB20 even before the team’s Hungarian Grand Prix update.
“At the beginning of the season where you then win races, then of course it all feels right, but he also said then that the balance is not right,” he said.
“Of course, that was not brought out at the time. They then try to keep that inside. He complained about the balance there too. Max actually complained about it about three months ago.
“Only they didn’t really believe it, or they didn’t really see it. Now you’re actually a bit too late.”
Although Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has made it clear the team is “working hard” to “find their way back”, Jos Verstappen isn’t feeling at all confident.
“The coming period doesn’t look positive either,” he lamented. “The races follow each other rapidly and I don’t think they have really found a solution yet. Red Bull has kind of stayed put and the rest have got stronger.”
Max Verstappen, however, was more encouraging about Red Bull’s progress despite finishing FP2 down in 14th place, almost nine-tenths behind P1’s Lewis Hamilton.
“We tried quite a few things today, and FP2 was not that great, but the long run was a little bit more competitive,” Verstappen explained.
“But it seems quite aggressive on the tyres at the moment, they are opening up and it is quite interesting how that will evolve for the race.
“We have some good directions for the car, but just need to tidy it up a bit and then I think it will be quite close between a lot of cars, and hopefully we can be in that mix.”
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