Max Verstappen assumes that he will suffer another setback in the fight for the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship, in the form of a grid penalty: “I think there will be another penalty, yes,” he answers the question whether he expects to get through the season with his existing engine pool or to have to change again.
During Friday training in Mexico, Verstappen had a problem with a leak in the cooling area, so he had to switch to another power unit from his 2024 pool overnight. Actually, only four combustion engines are allowed per season, but Verstappen is already on engine number 5. He already received the penalty for the first “transgression” in Spa.
Verstappen has also already reached the limit of the 2024 target when it comes to other components (turbocharger, MGU-H, MGU-K, battery, control electronics and internal transmission parts). He only has a buffer at the exhaust and the outer transmission parts, where he can theoretically change them once without penalty.
So it’s quite possible that Verstappen will pull a new power unit in Interlagos next weekend and receive another penalty because overtaking is relatively easy at the Brazilian Grand Prix. “That depends entirely on how long the parts we have in the pool last,” the Red Bull driver doesn’t want to explicitly confirm another change yet.
Verstappen: Qatar is our best chance to win
The world title will probably be hard to take away from him either way. In the last three Grands Prix, Lando Norris was only able to reduce his deficit by a total of five points. This means that Verstappen has a buffer of 57 points with five Grands Prix to go – and also the better starting position (2:3) on his side before the race in Mexico.
Nevertheless, it’s not the case “that I’m driving more carefully now. But with the score, the pressure is on him more. The bottom line is that I would prefer to have a slightly faster car. That would make everything easier. Because at the moment I have I feel like we’re getting these results even though we’re not good enough for it.”
Verstappen was recently second in Singapore and third in Austin, but has not won a Grand Prix since Barcelona in June. Whether he will manage an eighth win of the season in 2024 “depends on the track. In Austin I really thought I had a chance. In the end it turned out differently, even though the track suits us. But maybe we’ll be lucky again.”
If so, then most likely “in Qatar,” Verstappen believes, adding: “McLaren is also very strong there because there are a lot of medium-fast and fast corners – and that is exactly the area in which their car is very, very good “They also have a very strong front axle. That’s why Qatar is a good track for us, but probably an even better one for McLaren.”
What could help him is that since the double victory in Austin, Ferrari also seems to be a force in Formula 1 again. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc could take points away from Norris. But: “If McLaren wins and the Ferraris come in between, it can also go against us. The pressure is always there,” says Verstappen.
Verstappen: I didn’t find dominance boring
It is clear that the Red Bull has no longer been the undisputed best car in Formula 1 for months. This is shown by the results of Sergio Perez, who was already eliminated in Q1 at the home Grand Prix in Mexico and has been waiting for a Grand Prix podium since Miami. That was at the beginning of May. Perez is only in eighth place in the World Cup.
Completely different signs than in 2023, when Red Bull won 21 of the 22 Grands Prix and dominated the season almost at will. And certainly a bigger challenge in terms of sport. But: Verstappen insists that he would still not consider a possible World Cup title in 2024 to be more valuable than the World Cup title in 2023.
“People don’t understand that. It may be that we were dominant last year. But we also did a lot right, even though the lead was sometimes quite small. Only the team and I can assess that correctly. And I think that “Last year was a sensational success with so many races won.”
“The car is currently not running the way we would like. Driving the car was more fun last year. That’s how it is, and we know it. And we’re already working for next year. To outsiders it might look that way “It seems like it’s more fun right now. But I feel differently. I’m very proud of what we achieved last year.”
Verstappen then lets his familiar defiance shine through when he says: “I wish everyone the best of luck who wants to win 19 races in one season.” Or when he’s asked that he’s going to win the title in Las Vegas anyway: “Everyone tells me that. I say: Okay, then do it yourself!”
Slow corners, curbs: Red Bull struggles with this
After all, Red Bull seems to have left the deepest valley behind them. Monza was a low point in terms of performance. “We then discovered the problem and since then we have been trying to correct it. And in the process the next problems that we had before, such as the slow corners or the curbs, appear,” explains Verstappen.
“Our car handles really badly over the curbs and bumps. It just bounces too much, especially compared to Ferrari. On the other hand, McLaren has a lot of grip. They’re not the best over the curbs either, but they have it in the slow and “It’s an incredible balance in medium-speed corners that we just can’t replicate.”
A shortcoming that Red Bull can make up for in the 2024 season? Verstappen doesn’t seem too self-confident when answering: “We’re working on it. Some things aren’t that easy to fix. If we knew what it was, then yes. But there are some things you don’t see right away, and then it’s difficult to do something about it company.”
