Ex-F1 champion urges Red Bull to ‘stop the rot’ over Max Verstappen’s title fight against Lando Norris
Damon Hill questions if Red Bull can stop the rot and turn things around for Max Verstappen in the 2024 season.
Follow Us
Max Verstappen and Lando Norris (via IMAGO)
As the 2024 Formula 1 season resumes this weekend, teams are eager to showcase their preparations made over a month. The last six races will be vital for Red Bull, as they need to reclaim their lead in the constructors’ championship while also supporting Max Verstappen‘s pursuit of the driver’s title. Ex-F1 champion Damon Hill highlighted that the upcoming US GP is critical for Milton Keynes to achieve these goals.
The campaign kicked off strongly for Red Bull and Max Verstappen, showcasing their consistent performance from 2023. However, the unpredictable nature of Formula 1 took over as they struggled with car handling and suspension issues. This disruption affected Verstappen who hasn’t won a single race since the Spanish GP, leading to McLaren overtaking the Austrian outfit in the constructors’ standings.
The 1996 F1 champion, Damon Hill expressed his curiosity about whether Red Bull has resolved the RB20’s issues. He emphasized that turning things around is vital for the team’s success and for the Dutchman to reclaim his competitive edge.
It’s going to be very interesting to see whether or not Red Bull have stopped the rot, and whether they can manage to turn things around a little bit for Max, because they have to.
Damon Hill told GPblog.com
Hill pointed out that McLaren has found something unique that other teams haven’t. He highlighted their mini DRS rear wing. This design allows the car to flex, boosting downforce while minimizing drag without using the traditional DRS. This innovation sparked controversy among several teams. They labeled it illegal and urged the FIA to make McLaren remove it.
Despite this, they modified their DRS, for the sake of the other teams. Lando Norris dominated the Singapore GP, finishing 20 seconds ahead of Verstappen in second place. Hill noted that engineers from rival teams were observing McLaren’s car. They want to understand how the Woking-based team has achieved such a significant time advantage.
Despite the attempts to clip their wings a little bit with changes to the regulations and all this rear wing, this sort of mini DRS thing that they came up, I think the teams are looking very closely and thinking, What are they doing that’s made them so successful?
Damon Hill expained
COTA could give Max Verstappen an advantage over Lando Norris
Singapore’s Marina Bay circuit posed challenges for Max Verstappen’s RB20, particularly with its suspension and handling, making it tough to drive on the street circuit. Despite these difficulties, Verstappen secured a commendable second-place finish. The upcoming race in Austin held on a proper circuit, should favor the RB20 allowing it to have a chance to showcase its full potential.
Hill noted that COTA experiences more force, impacting tire pressure and the car’s handling in turns and straights. Red Bull’s strong performance from the past on such circuits would be helpful to enhance their pace and overall performance on Sunday.
It’s a different track, much more load going through the cars in Austin. There will be different kinds of pressures on the tyres and how the car behaves around there.
Damon Hill stated
Certainly, Hill is excited to see how Red Bull progresses, especially since the teams have had plenty of time to improve their cars. The Milton Keynes outfit sits 41 points behind McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship. Keeping this in view, the next six races will play a huge role in determining whether the former can secure the coveted title this year.
Stay Updated!
Gaurang Kadam
(535 Articles Published)