Red Bull stumbles

Verstappen: “We’ve had this problem since 2022”

Max Verstappen has had a difficult few weeks.(Bild: AP/Associated Press)

Max Verstappen only managed sixth place at the Monaco Grand Prix and the Bulls are not the favorites in Montreal either, as motorsport consultant Helmut Marko explained. Verstappen, however, revealed what is currently causing the racing team headaches.

The three-time world champion wants to regain supremacy in Formula 1 in Canada. The past three races have produced three different winners, who have also been in three different cars. It is interesting to note that the Red Bull star has not finished first on street circuits in cities beginning with M this season: Melbourne, Miami and Monte Carlo. Montreal is also not a permanent race track this weekend.

Max Verstappen(Bild: Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

RB20 not a friend of slow corners
The fact is that McLaren and Ferrari have caught up and made up some of Red Bull's lead in the third year of the existing regulations. The latest results - McLaren's Lando Norris won in Miami, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in Monte Carlo - can also be explained by the track. On circuits with more and slower corners, where more downforce is required, the RB20 is somewhat erratic and the handling is more difficult to assess. Verstappen and his team have identified driving over kerbs in particular as a weakness.

"We've had this problem since 2022, but of course we've had an advantage in the car in the last two years, and that's masked a little bit because we gain a little bit in the corners where the kerbs and the bumps aren't the limit," explained Verstappen in Monaco. "But with everyone catching up, if you don't improve your weakest point, you will obviously be caught up."

"Not the favorite"
In the ninth race of the season on Sunday (8pm) in Montreal, where driving over the kerbs is a proven way of gaining lap time, the difficulties could be repeated. "We are not going to Canada as favorites," Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko told the "Krone". Red Bull is only 24 points ahead of Ferrari in the constructors' championship. In the drivers' standings, Verstappen is 31 points ahead of Leclerc and 56 ahead of Norris.

Opposite of Monaco
Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur predicted another close battle between the Red Bulls and the red racers and McLaren. Montreal is "probably almost the opposite of Monaco in terms of speed, but you also have the characteristics of the kerbs, with lots of slow corners and chicanes," said the Frenchman. "Our car has done well on various circuits, but we know that we will have a lot to do in Canada," said McLaren driver Norris.

In 2022 and 2023, Verstappen won at the Circuit Giles-Villeneuve, where Lewis Hamilton is joint record winner with Michael Schumacher (seven wins each). The latter is currently experiencing the most difficult phase of his career at Mercedes. "The field has moved closer together and we are under no illusions that others will continue to improve," said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. "We must continue to work hard and diligently to fight our way into the top group."