Max Verstappen has issued a stern ultimatum to Red Bull demanding major changes to the underperforming RB20 car after a disastrous Italian GP weekend at Monza.
The reigning world champion described the once-dominant machine as “undrivable” and warned that the team’s performance will remain “bad until the end of the season” unless drastic improvements are made.
Max Verstappen’s frustrations boiled over as he finished a lowly sixth at Monza, surrendering valuable points to title rival Lando Norris, who took third place. The Dutchman’s championship lead has now been trimmed to just 62 points with eight races remaining, as Red Bull’s woes continue.
“If we don’t change anything on the car, it is all going to be bad from now on to the end of the season. We have a lot of work to do,” a visibly dejected Verstappen told reporters after the race. “The car is undrivable, it’s a massive balance problem that we have, and that is not only over one lap but also the race.”
Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez also struggled to make an impact, finishing outside the points in 11th place. The Mexican reported similar issues with grip and balance throughout the weekend.
Red Bull’s sudden fall from grace has been nothing short of staggering as the team dominated the early stages of the 2024 season, winning seven of the first 10 races. However, a string of poor performances since the summer break has seen them lose ground to resurgent rivals McLaren and Ferrari.
Red Bull’s team principal Christian Horner acknowledged the gravity of the situation, conceding that both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships are now under threat.
“With the pace we had today, both championships will be under pressure, for sure,” Horner said. “If we want to win both titles, we have to put performance on the car.
“We have to turn around the situation very quickly.”
The team’s sudden decline has coincided with the departure of legendary designer Adrian Newey, who has not worked on any F1 projects since April and will leave the team in early 2025. However, Horner downplayed the notion that Newey’s reduced involvement has had a major impact, stating that the issues were already present before his departure.
Verstappen, who has now gone six races without a victory, was scathing in his assessment of the team’s performance, accusing them of turning last year’s dominant car into a “monster”.
“Last year we had a great car, which was the most dominant car ever, and we basically turned it into a monster, so we have to turn it around,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where we are [which track] at the moment, we are bad everywhere, so we need a lot of changes.”
The Dutchman’s frustration was evident throughout the weekend, with the 25-year-old cursing over the radio as he was overtaken by slower cars. He also criticized the team’s strategy, suggesting they could have done a better job to be more competitive.
“Strategy-wise, we could have done a better job, at least to be a little bit more competitive and in the fight, but it wouldn’t have changed the position,” Verstappen said. “We just didn’t do our optimal race starting on the hard tyre.”
Red Bull’s woes have opened the door for McLaren and Ferrari to make significant gains in both championships. The constructors’ title race, which seemed all but decided a few races ago, is now wide open, with McLaren closing the gap to just eight points.
The team’s struggles have also raised questions about Verstappen’s long-term future with the Austrian outfit. While the Dutchman has always been loyal to Red Bull, his recent comments suggest that his patience may be wearing thin.
However the triple world champion remains hopeful that the team can bounce back, but he has made it clear that drastic action is needed.
“Now it’s up to the team to come with a lot of changes with the car because we basically went from a very dominant car to an undrivable car in the space of, what, six to eight months,” he said.
As the F1 circus heads to the streets of Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Red Bull faces a daunting task to turn their season around. With Mercedes and Ferrari also showing signs of improvement, the team will need to act quickly to address the fundamental issues with the RB20.
With the championship battle heating up and Red Bull’s dominance under threat, the coming weeks and months could prove pivotal in shaping the outcome of the 2024 season. One thing is certain: Max Verstappen will not rest until his beloved Red Bull is back at the top of the grid.
