At the halfway point of the 2024 Formula 1 season, Red Bull is under pressure because the competition has caught up – further updates are needed, warns Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen is pushing for further updates at Red Bull now that the restrictions on aerodynamic testing in Formula 1 are making themselves felt. When asked whether this will have an impact on Red Bull’s dominance, the championship leader replies: “Of course, it’s always helpful to have more time. “
“But that’s the way the rules are, isn’t it? You try to slow down the winning team. If you’re the runner-up, you’re happy for it to be that way, and if you’re the leader and you get caught up during the season, you see it a bit differently. But that’s the way the rules are written, you have to deal with it.”
The sliding scale in Formula 1 was introduced along with the budget cap to level the playing field. The last team in the overall standings receives 45 percent more testing time than the team that wins the championship, with each team’s time on the scale shrinking by five percent.
This is a handicap for Red Bull in the battle for supremacy. Even if Verstappen remains at the top of the overall standings, the competition has caught up. Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes have already won races.
And the difficulties of Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez at least open the door for a title fight between Red Bull and McLaren. That’s why the three-time champion has already called for the update efforts to continue.
Last upgrade at Silverstone positive
The team recently traveled to the British Grand Prix with an upgrade package, but damage in Q1 meant Verstappen was unable to make full use of the improvements in qualifying. Nevertheless, Dutchman said about the effectiveness of the new package: “We can see the progress.”
“The weekend was a bit of a mixed bag because we tried a few things on the car, and of course the weather is not exactly helpful. But if you look at the result, we would definitely have been in contention for pole without the damage on the ground. So that’s a positive sign. “
However, the Red Bull driver reiterates: “We have to keep pushing, we have to keep bringing parts – and I know they will come, and hopefully they will be a bit better than the upgrades from the other teams. “
Verstappen: Mustn’t let up now
Team Principal Christian Horner has long warned that Red Bull’s large lead under the current regulations would gradually be caught up by the law of diminishing returns and that the pursuing teams would gradually catch up.
But when asked about this, Verstappen warns: “I refuse to believe that, because then you just get lazy. I’m confident that everyone in the factory is always working hard to give the car a bit more power, but there are also a lot of clever people in other teams who are doing the same.”
Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko is confident despite the testing restrictions and increased competition and emphasizes: “We know where there is a need to catch up and we are actually betting everything on the update that will come in Budapest.” The next Formula 1 weekend (July 19-21) will take place in Hungary
