“We Were Outclassed”: Closing Points Gap Worries Red Bull as McLaren Strikes Fear Into Rivals

Lando Norris beat Max Verstappen at his home race at Zandvoort by a gap of 22.9 seconds. With McLaren’s upgrades working their magic and the papaya team taking another chunk out of Red Bull’s lead, Helmut Marko comes out to reveal that the championship is in danger.

According to Speedweek, Marko said, “In Zandvoort, you have to admit that we were outclassed. If it continues like this, the World Championship is in danger.”

70 point gap with 9 races to go. Who is going to be crowned 2024 World Champion? pic.twitter.com/3qfkFE8MuJ

— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) August 25, 2024

He added, “It is quite clear that we have to get the car back into balance, our updates have to have an effect, they have to bring something not only in theory but also on the stopwatch.”

After McLaren’s P1 and P4 finish in Zandvoort, the Woking outfit is only 30 points behind Red Bull in the championship. The gap in the drivers’ championship between Norris and Verstappen was also reduced, but the Dutchman finishing P2 limited the damage.

The Red Bull advisor pointed out how the lower temperatures and track layout at Zandvoort suited the MCL38 much more than the RB20. Marko expects McLaren to perform well at the upcoming Italian GP as well.

McLaren and Norris made a statement by finishing well ahead of Verstappen and Marko’s words suggest that the warning has been duly noted. Nevertheless, Marko suggested that Red Bull will put up more of a challenge at Monza this weekend. 

“Balance” is the Key to Red Bull’s 2024 championship hopes 

Ever since the Miami GP, reportedly when the FIA clamped down on Red Bull’s innovative braking system, Verstappen has been complaining about the car’s balance. The Dutchman can be heard on the radio complaining of understeer, or the car now responding to his inputs.

The Hungarian GP upgrades didn’t help Verstappen in any way and supposedly made the car’s handling characteristics worse for the Dutchman, who explicitly slammed the team on the radio.

Marko stated that the RB20 struggles with finding the optimal balance, which is the root cause of the struggles. The Austrian said, “We now have to get the balance back into the car. We are working hard, but it is difficult to say exactly when and how much will be new.”

He then explained, “If we can get that back, the drivers’ confidence will be back, the car will slide less and the tire wear will be more moderate.”