S Poddar
Max Verstappen hopes the malaise currently afflicting Red Bull in Formula 1 is one he will experience only once. He spoke exclusively to Motorsport.com about the team’s problems and how he and his outfit return to competitiveness.
After the comprehensive victory in the season-opening round in Bahrain, it was expected that Red Bull was going to steamroll its way into another championship. What then was seen was an unexpected diversion in the development of the RB20, whereas the greatest rivals, McLaren, seemed to be closing in.
At the beginning, I was surprised too. But looking back at our problems, it’s understandable. We went down the wrong path at some point. Other teams either haven’t hit that hurdle yet or developed the car differently, and that’s always hard to judge.” Verstappen told Motorsport.com.
Although Verstappen continued to score victories in Japan and China, the cracks had long begun showing up in Miami and Imola. Indeed, even the Dutchman himself said so, although he hinted that he felt the weaknesses of his car much earlier.
“Early on, the balance felt completely different from last year’s car,” he explained. “Back then, our car was still much faster than the others, or maybe I should say the others weren’t strong then. So, we could compensate for our difficulties. But things kept getting worse in subsequent races. At one point, the car was just a handful to drive, and our competitors were making real progress.”
Verstappen also continually referenced that the front and rear of the car looked very much different, something that he said wasn’t true of the car from last season. He was stunned by the extreme changes from last season’s car on the RB20. He wouldn’t, though place blame on the concept itself.
“It’s not what’s gone wrong outside,” Verstappen waved the off. “The look of the car isn’t important.”
Is Red Bull’s Wind Tunnel Coming Back to Haunt It?
Verstappen’s comments suggest the floor may be part of Red Bull’s problems, a challenge many teams are facing under the new regulation. Mercedes found life difficult for two years with their ground-effect cars, and Ferrari also had bouncing problems following a floor update in Barcelona.
“It’s trickier than everyone thinks,” Verstappen said. “Even McLaren are holding off on a new floor because they’re unsure. Upgrades are a lot more sensitive than under previous rules.”
There is also the matter of correlation between simulated wind-tunnel data and real-time racing performance. It has been discovered that downforce in the simulator does not always translate into pace on the circuit. It appears very relevant for Red Bull with their older wind tunnel. The team is said to be building a new facility.
“It’s a tough issue,” said Verstappen while not wishing the issue much significance. “Sure, ours is older, but it delivered accurate results until this year. Some things are just beyond explanation. You see it with other teams too, except maybe McLaren. Everyone’s had issues, even those with modern wind tunnels. It’s incredibly difficult to fine-tune things perfectly or extract the right data. It could be due to various factors within the tunnel itself or how it correlates with the track.”
The road to returning to the top rating
Its primary goal at this point is to get out of this hole and increase incrementally. Verstappen reports an upwards curve began with a floor upgrade in Baku. At least his set-up selection there makes direct comparison tough, although teammate Sergio Perez was able to fight for a podium before a late collision by Carlos Sainz. The next race in Singapore had Verstappen finished second, a huge positive given how bad Red Bull had struggled there last year.
In Baku, the team only spoke of “subtle changes” to the underfloor, but Verstappen hopes this is the precursor to the answer. “Yes, it felt better,” he said. “That was a good step for us. I feel we’re on the right path now, but it’ll just take time. You can’t do something like that overnight. But I think the team was encouraged by what they saw in Baku as well.”
While not at a level to yet threaten Norris and McLaren for the wins, Red Bull will bring another update package on their way to Austin for the United States Grand Prix. The full depth of these upgrades is yet to be seen, but Verstappen is hopeful the worst of the season is behind them, if Monza and the disastrous event there was any indication of that.
“Honestly, yes,” he concluded. “Hopefully we could move on from here.”
