Just In: Max Verstappen Points to McLaren Moment That Exposed Red Bull’s…read more
Max Verstappen Points to McLaren Moment That Exposed Red Bull’s…read more
Max Verstappen has openly expressed concerns about Red Bull’s performance during Friday’s practice sessions at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, pointing to a striking moment on track involving a McLaren that he believes highlighted the depth of the team’s current struggles.
Coming off a disappointing weekend in Miami where Red Bull was outpaced by McLaren, the team arrived in Imola with a package of updates aimed at regaining their competitive edge. However, the first day of running at the iconic Italian circuit has only intensified questions about whether those upgrades are delivering the expected performance.
Verstappen, who finished seventh in Free Practice 1 and improved only marginally to fifth in Free Practice 2, was still more than four-tenths of a second off the pace set by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who topped both sessions. It’s an uncharacteristic position for the defending world champion, who has dominated much of the modern F1 era with Red Bull.
Speaking after the sessions, Verstappen admitted the team is struggling to find the right setup. “We tried a lot of things, and some worked better than others, but we are not fast enough at the moment,” he said. “We need to do a bit more work to get better corner balance to go faster.”
The Dutch driver noted a telling incident during long-run simulations, where a McLaren car overtook him and then steadily pulled away something rarely seen during Verstappen’s recent dominant runs. “I got overtaken by the McLaren, so that says enough, right? They pulled away,” he commented, clearly frustrated by the performance deficit.
Red Bull’s current issues seem to lie particularly in the car’s handling through corners. Verstappen alluded to a lack of confidence in the RB20’s balance, especially over longer stints. “The confidence at the moment is not very high,” he admitted. “It is the same in the long runs… compared to the other teams around us, at the moment, it was a bit of a tough day.”
The Imola weekend is proving to be a continuation of mounting pressure for the reigning Constructors’ Champions. While Verstappen remains a formidable competitor, McLaren’s rapid development and form—backed by strong showings from both Piastri and Lando Norris—are now becoming a clear threat.
With just one more practice session before qualifying, Red Bull will need to find answers quickly. Otherwise, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix could mark another weekend where the once-dominant team finds itself playing catch-up to the chasing pack.
As the battle at the front tightens, Verstappen’s frustrations serve as a stark warning: Red Bull can no longer afford to rest on past success in a season that is becoming increasingly competitive.
