2023 has been a flawless season for three-time world champion Max Verstappen as he has won 18 of the 21 races this season. Despite dominating the field, the Dutchman believes that the supreme RB19 suffers from one crucial weakness.
When asked about the same during Thursday’s press conference, Verstappen said, “Look at our race weekend in Singapore. In general, on street circuits, I think we are a bit struggling a bit more like in Vegas also. So yeah, low speed is definitely not our strongest point in the car; bumps, and curbs as well. So that’s definitely a big area where we can improve.”
🗣️ | Max on Hamilton’s comments about the RB19 being the fastest car he’s ever seen:
“If you look at the statistics, that statement is not correct.”
“We have a very good car! There is ofcourse nothing wrong with that. Yet we are not as dominant as Merc has shown in some years.” pic.twitter.com/rrd8Gqi1nT
— Verstappen News (@verstappenews) April 9, 2023
The 2023 Singapore GP was the only race where Red Bull failed to prevail. Similarly, at the Las Vegas GP last week, the RB19 struggled for pace against the Ferrari on a track that was dominated by long straights followed by excruciatingly slow 90-degree corners.
Verstappen’s revelation would be turning a lot of heads in the paddock. Their rivals will surely be taking notes as this area of performance is where they can exploit Red Bull’s weakness to close the gap in 2024. Be that as it may, the 26-year-old racing ace has ensured everyone that the team are working hard to find a fix for that particular issue.
2024 could be a big test for Max Verstappen and Red Bull
While acknowledging where his team lacks, Max Verstappen has also revealed the fact that the team is aware of it. With a design genius like Adrian Newey in their ranks, the Dutchman is sure that the Milton-Keynes-based outfit is going to turn the deficit around before the 2024 season begins.
Moreover, the type of tracks where Red Bull struggle are very rarely to be found on the Grand Prix calendar, anyway. Hence, the situation in the Red Bull garage with their design philosophy isn’t as dire as it would appear at first glance. That is not going to stop their rivals from pushing, though.
2024 is going to be scary but not for us pic.twitter.com/FDkLDK1edF
— Mercedes.F1Motorsports (@MF1motorsports) November 23, 2023
Both Mercedes and Ferrari have made big strides in terms of performance over the course of the season. And even though Red Bull have gone on to dominate, the gap has consistently come down. Needless to say, in 2024, the Silver Arrows and the Prancing Horse would be looking to fight the Milton Keynes outfit for championship glory.
With increasing pressure on Red Bull, Sergio Perez will have to up his game. He cannot afford to have a huge gap to Verstappen like he did this season. If the likes of Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren do become more competitive in 2024, then Red Bull will need both their drivers firing on all cylinders to clinch the championships again.
