Max Verstappen had a forgettable qualifying session in Monaco, where he could only muster up a P6 starting position for Sunday’s Grand Prix. In what appears to be his worst performance on paper so far this season, Verstappen is adamant that it was the car that let him down.
In the aftermath of Saturday’s qualifying, a reporter asked Verstappen if it was his first ‘real mistake’ of 2024. The 26-year-old didn’t agree. Instead, he said,
“I would happily invite everyone in this paddock to drive that car and try to go faster than me.”
️: the first real mistake from you this year?
: i wouldn’t say so. i would happily invite everyone in this paddock to drive that car and try to go faster than me. pic.twitter.com/S4t8ULOXW6— SharlLeglerg (@Sharl_Leglerg) May 26, 2024
Verstappen was referring to the RB20’s issues that have plagued his entire weekend up until now. Since FP1 on Friday, both he and his teammate Sergio Perez have been complaining about the car’s handling. The several bumps and kerbs of the Monaco circuit are affecting their performance, and it was particularly evident in the second and third sectors.
Verstappen concedes to the fact that there isn’t much he can do to make up places on Sunday, owing to the fact that Monaco is a difficult circuit to overtake.
Meanwhile, Sergio Perez’s dismal performance added insult to injury in what has been a difficult weekend for Red Bull, overall.
Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen need a miracle
Verstappen starting from P6, will be hoping for a clean race on his part, and something miraculous ahead of him, to get into the top three. Perez, on the other hand, starts P16. He qualified in P18, but will start two places higher, thanks to the Haas cars’ disqualifications.
For Perez, the best he can seemingly hope for is points, but that too, will be a far fetch. Qualifying is of utmost importance in Monaco, and Red Bull failed to get it right.
A difficult Saturday in Monaco for the Bulls.#F1 || #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/mWtInEQDvD
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) May 25, 2024
A team that did get it right, though, was Ferrari. Charles Leclerc grabbed pole in his home race and Carlos Sainz will start right behind him in P3. Together, they could bring home big points for the Maranello-based outfit in their bid to catch Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship standings.
As things stand, Red Bull is 56 points ahead of Ferrari, heading into the Monaco GP.
