Jos Verstappen has taken aim at Red Bull, urging the team to indulge in a bit of introspection and "take a good look in the mirror" after their defeat to McLaren in last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix.
Verstappen Sr’s comments come amid growing concerns within the Red Bull camp over their recent drop in performance, which saw Lando Norris claim a dominant victory over Max Verstappen by a significant 22-second margin.
Red Bull’s 2024 campaign began with a bang, as Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez led the outfit to three 1-2 finishes in the first five races, making it look like another year of bull dominance.
However, things have changed, and the Milton Keynes-based squad’s performance has undeniably faltered in recent races relative to McLaren, a fact that Verstappen himself did not deny.
“Something in the car has made it more difficult to drive. And it’s very hard to pinpoint where that is coming from at the moment,” he explained after his home race.
“That is then hurting, of course, our one-lap performance, but also our long run.”
Jos Verstappen echoed his son's concerns, suggesting that Red Bull may have made a wrong turn in the development of its RB20 car.
“Maybe I shouldn’t say it, but I’m doing it anyway,” he told De Telegraaf at Zandvoort.
“The fact that you have to go back to the car from the beginning of this year says enough. They just don’t have it right here at the moment. I think they should take a good look in the mirror.”
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While Red Bull may have lost ground lately in relative terms to McLaren, and even Mercedes, it’s also clear that its direct rivals – and particularly McLaren – have steadily evolved and improved the contender.
“Max knew this was coming,” added Jos. “He just didn’t have a chance. This way it’s going to be really tough the rest of the year.
“Max is doing everything he can, but doesn’t have the equipment to finish it. It was already exceptional that he qualified second.”
Despite his father’s blunt assessment, Max Verstappen remains calm about Red Bull’s current situation.
“Yeah, I mean, that happens, right?” he said. “I mean, I’ve had a lot of good years.
“I mean, some people have never won a race in their career, you know, so you can also look at it like that.
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“From my side, yeah, we at the moment don’t have the fastest car. We have some issues that we have to solve and we are working on that. That’s the only thing I can say about that.
“You know, we’re very focused on it. There’s still a lot of races left, a lot of different kind of tracks. This weekend was just not our best weekend.”
As Red Bull tries to regroup and find their form again, they face a critical period with many races still to go.
While Max seems ready to tackle the challenge head-on, Jos’s harsh words serve as a stark reminder that the road back to the top won’t be easy.
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