Under Pressure from Rivals, Max Verstappen Alters His Approach

After winning 19 out of 22 races in 2023, Max Verstappen got used to standing on the top step of the podium without having to work too hard. The same cannot be said about this season, as Red Bull’s rivals have caught up. However, instead of thinking about how much the others are improving, Verstappen chooses to focus on how he and his team can get better throughout the season.

Verstappen is still winning. He has seven victories in 10 races this year, but he had to sweat a lot to earn those wins. McLaren’s Lando Norris and the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in particular have been hot on his heels. Moreover, as evident in the last two races, Mercedes is also in the mix now.

Yes!!!

Tough race today, but we made it happen! Very well done team @redbullracing #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/irBmeiyvY0

— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) June 23, 2024

Verstappen, however, remains undeterred. “You can dream about potential improvements from other teams. But that’s just a waste of energy,” he said to RacingNews365.

Verstappen added that he is constantly talking to the engineers and trying to figure out how they can improve. Red Bull is still up there on the top, and Verstappen won both of the last two races (Canada and Spain). However, the others’ progress makes him and the rest of the Milton-Keynes-based outfit wary of what is to come.

Max Verstappen holding Red Bull together

In the Drivers’ Championship, Verstappen continues to build a gap, thanks to his brilliance. He remains P1 despite Norris and Leclerc’s best efforts in the last few weeks. The same, however, cannot be said about the Constructors’ Championship.

To retain the team’s title, Red Bull needs both of its drivers to perform and as things stand, it is just Verstappen who is doing the needful. Since Imola, Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, has been nowhere near the top five, which has been hurting Red Bull, albeit slowly.

Perez needs to step up for Red Bull to collectively amass enough points to win the Championship. As a result of Perez’s underperformance, he also puts himself under immense pressure. However, team principal Christian Horner is confident that the Mexican will return to form.