Not many could believe their eyes when they saw Max Verstappen finishing P11 in FP1 at the Qatar GP. With it being a sprint weekend, Red Bull mechanics did not have long to make changes before the Sprint Qualifying. That time constraint proved costly as Verstappen continued to struggle and only managed P6. Meanwhile, his teammate Sergio Perez once again crashed out in SQ1.
After the session, the Dutchman did not sound positive about his prospects for the sprint race on Saturday. His feedback on the car is no less than an alarming situation for the team to deal with as the car lacks pace as well as the balance to tackle the corners. Usually, it is one among the two that a team has to deal with and try to rectify.
“We just don’t have the pace. I don’t really have the balance to attack entry mid-corner,” Verstappen said after Sprint Qualifying.
Dealing with the complexities of Qatar’s Lusail circuit was always going to be tricky business for Red Bull. The long corners often make it difficult to judge the ideal aerodynamic setting and the brake balance. However, it is no alien challenge for Red Bull, who overcame a similar problem earlier this season in China.
MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS IN SHANGHAI
That’s Max’s first victory in China
Lando Norris takes second behind the Dutchman with Sergio Perez finishing third #F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/UasqOy8PG7
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 21, 2024
After an underwhelming FP1 and Sprint Qualifying in China, Verstappen redeemed himself with a win in the sprint race. Perez, who also took advantage of the enhanced setting, finished on the podium. The Red Bull duo then went on to finish 1-2 in qualifying as Verstappen won from pole and Perez finished P3.
The stakes, this time around, aren’t as high though. Verstappen has successfully defended his title to take his fourth consecutive championship home. In the middle of the season’s final triple header and P2 in the constructors’ championship looking like a distant dream, the crew might not be too keen to overwork themselves.
The engineering team, on the other hand, might be occupied with the development of the car for next year. After all, this is the first time they are developing a car without Adrian Newey’s guidance in many years.
