Max Verstappen admits Red Bull ‘too slow’ after Friday outing at Dutch GP

Max Verstappen admitted that Red Bull lacked pace after Friday Practice at his home race in Zandvoort this weekend.

Max Verstappen admits Red Bull ‘too slow’ after Friday outing at Dutch GP

Max Verstappen, Helmut Marko and Christian Horner (via IMAGO)

As the summer break for the 2024 season ended Max Verstappen expected the team to improve the car and its performance. Red Bull had lost crucial points in the four races before the break. However, the story still continues as the Dutchman found the RB20 still not fast during the Dutch GP free practice sessions.

Max Verstappen stated that during the FP1 of the Dutch GP, Red Bull didn’t get much time to drive or gather information, after less running in the session. However, in the FP2, they were able to drive more and get a better idea of the car’s performance. Getting a better idea helped them know what they lack compared to other teams and drivers.

In FP1 we obviously couldn't drive much, but in FP2 we could see a bit where we stand.
Max Verstappen said.
YouTube video

Max Verstappen wasn’t satisfied completely after the practice sessions were over. He mentioned that they were not as fast enough in both long and short runs. The short runs, where they test the car’s speed over a few laps. The long runs, where they see how the car performs over many laps to check consistency and tire wear. As the car was slow in both situations, Verstappen believed the team had a lot of work to do. They need to improve the car’s speed and overall performance to compete better on Saturday.

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We were just too slow in both the short and long run, so there's some work to do.
Max Verstappen added.
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Max Verstappen lacks ‘answers’ to improve RB20

Verstappen mentioned that he has no idea how the team is going to improve the car’s pace . He acknowledged that they need to carefully analyze the situation and figure out what changes are needed, because the car is simply too slow. The Dutchman highlighted the lack of speed is not a new problem for them. Red Bull had been facing similar issues in the recent races before summer break. Hence, the 26-year-old isn’t surprised by the team’s struggles, but they must work hard to find solutions to improve.

Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri (via IMAGO)
Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri (via IMAGO)
I don't have answers at the moment how we can improve [in order to win the race on Sunday]. We are going to look at it, because we are just too slow, it's as simple as that. This is where we were in the past races as well, so it's no surprise.
Max Verstappen stated.

Certainly, Max Verstappen admitted that he was not surprised by the pace of the RB20, but to compete in the front they need to keep improving. Red Bull needs to understand why they are slower than expected and find solutions to improve the car’s performance for the race.

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