Max Verstappen confesses Red Bull suddenly won’t become the ‘dominant’ team with new upgrades
Max Verstappen admits Red Bull's new upgrades won't quickly restore dominance, keeping realistic expectations from their performance gains.
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Max Verstappen, Christian Horner and Helmut Marko (via BILD)
Red Bull is bringing a set of upgrades for the USA GP. The recent month-long autumn break provided teams with ample time to fine-tune their cars and improve their speed. Aware that their cars were slower, the Austrian outfit needed to install these updates to regain their dominance. If the new package proves effective, it could boost Max Verstappen and the team significantly in both championship battles.
At Thursday’s COTA press conference, Max Verstappen discussed Red Bull’s upgrades and addressed allegations regarding an illegal T-tray that may have enhanced their performance. The Dutchman expressed surprise, stating he was unaware of any such component in their car.
Due to the recent swearing controversy during the Singapore GP, Verstappen tended to give one-word answers. He acknowledged that while the team is actively working on upgrades, they understand their limitations. They do not expect these changes to make them the dominant team again.
I don’t think it will be completely different and we will suddenly have the most dominant car. We know the limitations we have with the car this year, but we are trying to make it better.
Max Verstappen told De Telegraaf
Verstappen shared that the race in Monza was a wake-up call regarding their car’s issues. As they pushed to perform better, these balance problems became more noticeable. The more they tried to make the car faster, the more these underlying balance issues were highlighted.
However, he noted that they’ve learned valuable lessons from the Italian GP, identified their problems, and made necessary fixes. The Dutchman expresses optimism about their chances to perform well in Austin and the upcoming races.
Only at Monza did we find out what the main problems were. These upgrades are a result of the lessons we learnt from that.
Max Verstappen stated.
Sergio Perez reacts to Red Bull’s T-Tray height adjustment device
The Red Bull device featured a variety of adjustable settings, typically fine-tuned by a mechanic to modify the car’s ride height. Sergio Perez emphasized that there was no intentional strategy behind this feature. He firmly stated that the team never discussed implementing such tactics and that executing a trick like this was nearly impossible. Reflecting on a past sprint event, Perez humorously recounted how they ended up with an unusually high ride height. The Mexican joked that it felt like they were “close to the moon.”
There has been nothing that we were doing. We never actually talked about it. It was impossible. If anything, for example, I remember here that last year it was a sprint event, so we ended up with the ride height [close to] the moon.
Sergio Perez told Motorsport
If the T-tray had genuinely benefited Red Bull, they wouldn’t have faced the performance slump they experienced in recent races. The upcoming Grand Prix in Austin will be crucial for assessing the effectiveness of Red Bull’s new upgrades and adjustments. The remaining races will indicate whether they remain competitive in their ongoing title challenge against McLaren.
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Gaurang Kadam
(535 Articles Published)