Max Verstappen raises concerns over Red Bull’s pace after disappointing Mexican GP
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen has raised concerns over Red Bull's pace after disappointing a Mexican GP saw him finish P6.
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Max Verstappen (via Planetf1)
Max Verstappen has the most wins around the Mexican GP. With such statistics behind him, fans expected the Dutchman to have a respectable race in Mexico City. However, with the inferior pace of the Red Bull RB20 and a hoard of penalties lining up for him in the pits, he had to play the role of damage limitations.
Subsequently, after the race, Max Verstappen bemoaned about the RB20’s pace and asserted it to be the main culprit in the reason behind him not being able to score a good haul of points. He and Lando Norris continued from where they left the last race weekend in Austin.
With two drivers having a massive scrap in the initial phases of the Grand Prix, the Dutchman was penalized by the FIA for his questionable driving. Consequently, this dropped the reigning champion down to P15 after the first round of pitstops and was predicted to finish ahead of the Mercedes pair by the end of the race.
However, Verstappen struggled with the rear tires throughout the rest of the race and finished a massive 11 seconds behind the Silver Arrows. This intrigued the 27-year-old to raise concerns over the RB20’s pace, as it had been changing every weekend.
To get back to 6th was alright, but I couldn’t even fight the Mercedes in the front. I just had no grip, was sliding a lot and couldn’t brake, so it was a very tough one. It was more promising in Austin. Here again, it was a bit more tough, so it’s a bit odd. A few things to look at, and hopefully we can be more competitive in Brazil.
Max Verstappen said (via autosport)
The only saving grace from the weekend for Verstappen was that Norris was unable to win the race. The Briton finished runner-up behind Carlos Sainz, who had a stellar drive in the SF-24, helping Ferrari leapfrog Red Bull in the constructor’s standings.
Max Verstappen’s complaints resounded within the Red Bull garage
On the other hand, Max Verstappen’s concerns were largely admitted by the Austrian giant. Moreover, with McLaren and Ferrari having better pace than the RB20, a sense of urgency was felt within the Red Bull garage as senior figures looked up to the prospects of getting the 2024 challenger back on pace soon.
Subsequently, Reb Bull team principal Christian Horner looked at how the rivals got the better of the team and aimed to resolve the woes in the buildup to the Brazillian GP.
I think it’s more important for us to understand why we didn’t have the pace today. We had a good base in quali yesterday, but our race pace was nowhere near compared to Ferrari and McLaren. That’s really where our focus will be over the next five days.
Christian Horner said (via Sky Sports F1)
???️ | Christian Horner on main focus is race pace for the next few days
— RBR News ???? (@redbulletin) October 27, 2024
"I think it's more important for us to understand why we didn't have the pace today. We had a good base in quali yesterday, but our race pace was nowhere near compared to Ferrari and McLaren.
That's really… pic.twitter.com/qhOQHiQleC
In stark contrast, paddock rumors suggest that Verstappen is slated to take an engine penalty at Interlagos. This makes his case in the driver’s championship even worse, as the race in Interlagos is a sprint weekend. The Dutchman is looking at the possibility of losing more ground in the championship.
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Geetansh Pasricha
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