Max Verstappen endured one of his most difficult races in recent times, two weeks ago in Miami. With McLaren’s upgrades making them faster-paced and Ferrari too on the ascendency, Verstappen is now wary of Red Bull losing its grasp on the ‘dominant’ tag that has been next to its name for so long. Ahead of the Emilia-Romagna GP weekend, Verstappen talks about being nervous about this change.
He is used to winning races with ease by now, but Norris comprehensively outperforming him in Miami shook him up. When asked if he is nervous about a Red Bull downfall, the 26-year-old replied (as quoted by F1 Maximaal), “Very nervous, I can’t sleep.”
Very happy for @LandoNorris, congrats mate! 👏 For us it was not our strongest race, but I'll take P2 today. #KeepPushing pic.twitter.com/mf9Sp0Mlwt
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) May 6, 2024
Verstappen then joked about the extent to which he is worried but then admitted that he is indeed concerned. He revealed that they weren’t in control of the car’s balance throughout the Miami GP weekend, which is unfamiliar territory for them.
On the other hand, he has a justification about why Red Bull struggled more than they should have. Verstappen revealed that damage to his car affected his overall running tenfold, which is primarily why Lando Norris (race winner) was able to finish 7.6 seconds ahead of him.
Talking about the upcoming weekend, Verstappen seems confident about having a better performance.
Max Verstappen banking on Red Bull’s upgrades
Verstappen and Red Bull will be looking to avoid more nervous slip-ups heading into the double-header, starting with Imola. Red Bull are bringing upgrades to the track, with the RB20’s performance expected to improve. Already a strong car, the RB20 getting even faster will be music to Verstappen’s ears.
🚨 Major upgrades for Red Bull, new floor and front wing, @ErikvHaren reports
📸: @AlbertFabrega pic.twitter.com/W505KQmS4m
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) May 16, 2024
“We also come with upgrades. Then we will see it automatically,” says the Dutch driver. “I know if I get in the car, I try to get the best out of it.”
Despite the recent setback, Verstappen remains the favorite to win the race in Imola. However, McLaren’s upgrades, which worked wonders in Miami (a track it wasn’t suited to), will give Norris and Oscar Piastri a fair shot at getting the better of Verstappen once again.
