Max Verstappen ‘Disappointed’ With Red Bull’s Performance in Monaco After Seeing No Hope to Win

Max Verstappen ‘Disappointed’ With Red Bull’s Performance in Monaco After Seeing No Hope to Win

Max Verstappen’s hot streak of eight consecutive pole positions in F1 came to an end in Monaco on Saturday. The three-time World Champion was dragged back to earth after his recent highs, as his P6 starting position takes almost all chances of a win away. Despite anticipating such a result heading into the session, Verstappen did admit that the RB20 let him down.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after Q3, Verstappen said,

“I’m not disappointed with the position, I’m disappointed with our performance. It’s not come as a surprise to me because I knew our limitations coming into this weekend.”

This season, Verstappen has won five out of the seven races so far. However, he writes off winning in Monaco even before the lights go out on Sunday. The circuit is infamous for its lack of overtaking opportunities, and Verstappen has made peace with the fact.

The Dutch driver wasn’t happy with the Red Bull’s handling on Friday and Saturday. He struggled on the bumpy tarmac, and the Monte Carlo Street Circuit kerbs. It came to par during qualifying on Saturday, as Verstappen lost most of his lap time in the middle and third sector.

The RB20 seems to have carried forward the gremlins of its predecessor – the RB19 – into the 2024 season. This year, however, the problems have been augmented because Red Bull’s rivals are much closer to them.

Is Max Verstappen’s poor run of form a temporary problem?

The Monaco GP weekend has been bitterly disappointing for Max Verstappen. Considering his own lofty standards, the Dutchman has been nowhere near the dominant pace he normally showcases. However, the RB20 suffers from very specific limitations and problems, and unfortunately for Verstappen, the characteristics of the Monaco circuit bring them out.

Verstappen isn’t pessimistic about the whole season ahead but admits that the car’s issues are circuit-specific. He added that there are some other venues that are bumpy and full of kerbs. He labeled them as a “limitation” for the Milton-Keynes-based outfit, and expects to struggle in those tracks.

Red Bull introduced upgrades to its car in Imola last weekend, but these fundamental issues remain unsolved. Hence, for Verstappen, the 2024 Monaco GP will be a very long race, unless a miracle works in his favor.

 

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
Max Verstappen Monaco GP Red Bull

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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