Where did it go wrong? Where does Red Bull Racing lack punch? Verstappen cannot put his finger on it. “If it was something simple, we would have solved it. We are making progress, but Mercedes also continues to develop. It is difficult to say exactly where the problem lies.”
Verstappen can explain in five words what he needs to keep Lewis Hamilton from an eighth world title next season. “More grip and more power.” But that is easier said than done.
Still, the Red Bull driver is confident that he can attack Mercedes in the remaining races. “There were new parts on my car in Turkey and they worked fine. I’m just going to do what I always do: get the best out of it. If that works, you will get off the starting blocks better in 2021.”
Top strategist Wheatley is missing
Setback this weekend is the absence of Red Bull’s top strategist Jonathan Wheatley. The sports director of Verstappen’s racing stable is not on the circuit due to a positive corona test. “He is difficult to replace, but we try to distribute his tasks as well as possible. I don’t think it has any effect on the end result.”
Who will become Verstappen’s teammate in 2021 is still a mystery. German driver Nico Hülkenberg is patiently in the waiting room. “I can’t hear anything. It’s very quiet.”
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