Max Verstappen believes that underhanded tactics were employed by some of Red Bull Racing's rivals during the 2024 Formula 1 season that contributed to the team's woes.
The Dutchman started the year strong, racking up several commanding victories in the RB20. But as the season progressed, Red Bull's fortunes waned.
A mid-season slump, marked by a 10-race win drought for Verstappen between the Spanish and Brazilian Grands Prix, left many questioning what went wrong.
According to Verstappen, the answer isn't as simple as Red Bull's own development struggles.
"There were things that happened in the background, which meant that we had no chance at all in certain races," he told De Telegraaf. "I know that for sure, but no one will ever admit that."
Looking back, the 2024 season was marred by a series of technical controversies, with accusations and counter-accusations flying between teams.
Red Bull and Ferrari questioned the legality of flexible front wings on the McLaren and Mercedes cars, while McLaren itself courted controversy with its "mini-DRS" rear wing.
Red Bull also faced scrutiny over a front-bib adjuster, before alleging that some teams were employing an illegal tire cooling method involving water injection.
Although the FIA investigated each of these claims, no definitive wrongdoing was found. McLaren, however, was forced to modify its controversial rear wing design.
Adding to Verstappen's frustrations were Red Bull's own development missteps which saw the team struggle to maintain its competitive edge.
©RedBull
Aerodynamic shifts and balance issues in the RB20 left the four-time world champion wrestling with a car that no longer felt like an extension of himself, and winless between Spain and Brazil.
But the 27-year-old and his team doubled down on their efforts to turn around their fortunes in the back half of the season.
“I saw some graphs at one point when we were looking at the data,” he explained. “I saw certain aerodynamic shifts in how we entered the corners, turned in and also in terms of ride heights. Different from the car from the year before.
"I said: 'Hey, it's very clear that this and this is the problem, isn't it?' And that was right, I heard. I had not seen those lines, those graphs, before.
“Then it was clear what we had to work on, because of course the engineers know exactly what had been changed compared to the car since last year.”
Despite these insights, Red Bull found itself stuck in a cul-de-sac development. Efforts to address the RB20's handling quirks were slow to yield results, and Verstappen's confidence in the car dwindled.
“At the beginning of the season, we were still winning our races convincingly, but I already felt that the balance of the car didn't feel the way I wanted it to,” he added.
“But then we still had a big lead over other teams, who maybe hadn't had a very good winter.”
©RedBull
For Verstappen, the season's challenges were more than just a battle of innovation versus oversight.
They were a reminder of the cutthroat nature of Formula 1, where the margins between triumph and frustration are measured not just in tenths of a second but also in the shadowy complexities of paddock politics.
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