BREAKING NEWS: Max Verstappen offers damning Lando Norris.....

Max Verstappen Offers Stark Assessment of Red Bull’s 2024 Struggles, Calls Recent Performances ‘Very Weird’

Max Verstappen, the reigning Formula 1 World Champion, has openly admitted that Red Bull’s recent decline in performance is “very weird,” as the team continues to lose ground to Lando Norris and McLaren in the 2024 title race. Verstappen’s frustration was palpable at the Italian Grand Prix, where he expressed concern that both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships might now be out of reach unless drastic improvements are made.

The 2024 season started promisingly for Red Bull, with the team winning four of the first five races. Verstappen appeared on course for another dominant campaign, only interrupted by a mechanical failure in Melbourne. However, since the Miami Grand Prix, Red Bull has encountered an alarming decline in performance.

McLaren, on the other hand, has made significant strides, with Lando Norris emerging as a genuine title contender. This shift in the competitive landscape has left Red Bull scrambling for answers as they find themselves winless in their last six races heading into the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Verstappen’s frustration was evident after the Italian Grand Prix, where he admitted that the team’s chances in both championships are fading. “At the moment, both championships are not realistic,” Verstappen said candidly. “We have to keep working and push flat-out. There are no excuses. Last year, we had a great car, the most dominant car ever. But we have turned it into a monster, so we have to turn it around.”

The Dutchman’s remarks underline the perplexing nature of Red Bull’s situation. The team has gone from being virtually unbeatable to struggling to keep up with their rivals in the span of a few months. Verstappen described this drastic change as “very weird,” emphasizing the need for significant changes to the RB20 if Red Bull is to revive their title challenge.

Red Bull’s struggles have not gone unnoticed by team principal Christian Horner, who echoed Verstappen’s concerns about the car’s performance. According to Horner, the team has been grappling with data issues that have persisted since the beginning of the year.

“I think it’s been there for some time,” Horner explained in Monza. “Going through the data, there were issues at the beginning of the year in the car’s characteristics. Others have obviously made a step, and as we’ve pushed the package harder, it’s exposed the issue.”

Horner also pointed out that these problems were not entirely new, referencing data from the 2023 season that hinted at potential issues. “Even if you go back in the data, there were a few races last year where we started to see this, in Austin, and so on. It’s a characteristic we know we have to address, and it’s full focus at the factory to do that.”

As Red Bull heads into a critical two-race stretch, the pressure is mounting. Norris currently trails Verstappen by 62 points in the Drivers’ Championship, but with Ferrari and Mercedes also in the mix, that gap could close rapidly. Red Bull’s engineers will need to work tirelessly to resolve the RB20’s issues if they hope to mount a late-season comeback.

For now, Verstappen and Red Bull face the daunting task of turning around their fortunes in a season that has gone from one of promise to one of unexpected challenges. With eight races remaining, the team must find solutions quickly, or risk watching their title hopes slip away.