Red Bull responds to speculation over Max Verstappen ‘flattering’ the RB20
Paul Monaghan mentioned that he doesn't believe in any claims which suggest that Max Verstappen is flattering the RB20's performance.
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Max Verstappen (via IMAGO)
Max Verstappen has clinched seven wins out of the first 10 races but struggled in the last four before the summer break. McLaren and Mercedes have improved significantly compared to earlier in the season, posing tough competition for Red Bull. Critics argue that the RB20 is falling behind in performance, and they believe Verstappen’s abilities are not to blame. It is assumed he is just making the car look faster than it actually is. However, Red Bull’s chief engineer Paul Monaghan responded to such speculation.
Paul Monaghan in a recent interview stated that they’ve been putting consistent efforts in improving RB20’S performance. He reflected on a previous year as a benchmark, where they aimed to improve upon the bars that are set by the team. Monaghan explained they aim to build speed for an advantage on every track and maintain that edge throughout the season. However, the 56-year-old reckoned that as the season progresses, the competition is becoming intense making it hard for Red Bull to maintain that advantage. Verstappen also desired for extra speed and improvements in his RB20 in second half of the 2024 season.
If we look back at last year, then that is the bar that we have set ourselves to have a modest lap-time advantage everywhere and carry that through, then it is getting a little bit tighter.Paul Monaghan said, as reported by RacingNews365
Monaghan mentioned that he doesn’t believe in the speculations that say Max Verstappen is making the car look better than it actually is. The reason for Verstappen to push so hard was just obvious as rivals had caught them and the competition had become much tougher. Therefore, the 56-year-old reckoned Verstappen’s performance is genuine and not just creating an illusion as a superior performance car.
Max might well reflect on that, but I don't think that Max is flattering it, if he is pushing harder to get a race result because others are closer, then that is the nature of competition isn't it?Paul Monaghan added.
Paul Monaghan felt proud of Sergio Perez after the Belgian GP debrief
Sergio Perez had a tough time in the season due to pressure for winning. Initially the Mexican was just behind teammate Max Verstappen, but since the Hungarian GP the criticism went over head. This was because Perez crashed in Q1, which sabotaged his qualifying efforts. Despite these struggles, Paul Monaghan expressed happiness for Checo over impressive qualifying results in Belgium. He mentioned that the 34-year-old’s strong performance was not just his achievement but the whole team’s. Monaghan observed during the debrief that Perez appeared confident and self-assured for upcoming races. This made him genuinely pleased and proud of Checo’s accomplishment.
With Checo, it was lovely to see him do so well and it was wonderful for him and wonderful for the team. I saw in that debrief a driver who was settled in himself and you think: good for you mate, well done.Paul Monaghan stated.
Certainly, The pressure on Sergio Perez led to talks of him being replaced by another driver. But his strong performance in Belgium proved he’s still capable of pulling through tough times. This confidence made engineer Paul Monaghan proud of Checo.
In case you missed it:
- Charles Leclerc admits Ferrari always has ‘more of a mess’ than any other F1 team
- Max Verstappen asserts he wouldn’t ask his child to pursue motorsports unlike his father Jos Verstappen
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Gaurang Kadam
(535 Articles Published)