Jos Verstappen has called for Red Bull to “take a good look in the mirror” following their recent loss to McLaren at the Dutch Grand Prix. The season began with Red Bull appearing dominant, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez leading three 1-2 finishes in the first five races. However, the team’s edge has since faded, culminating in a 22-second defeat to Lando Norris, who capitalized on McLaren’s upgraded performance to secure a decisive win on Verstappen’s home turf.
McLaren’s overwhelming success at Zandvoort has raised alarms within Red Bull, as Verstappen’s once commanding 70-point lead now seems vulnerable. Max Verstappen, who was running with an earlier-season spec floor, acknowledged after the race that Red Bull has made a misstep, leading to the RB20 being “more difficult to drive.”
“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,” Verstappen admitted. “That is then hurting, of course, our one-lap performance, but also our long run.”
Jos Verstappen was more direct in his criticism, stating that Red Bull’s decision to revert to earlier components indicates the team is struggling to understand its current issues. “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.”
The elder Verstappen’s remarks come amid ongoing tensions with Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner, who has been under scrutiny since a pre-season investigation into his leadership. Jos Verstappen has suggested that Horner’s continued leadership could “tear apart” the team, and some senior figures have since indicated plans to leave.
Max Verstappen, who has gone winless in the last five races, reportedly sensed that Red Bull’s dominance would eventually be challenged. “Max knew this was coming,” his father said. “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 material to finish it. It was already exceptional that he qualified second.”
Despite enduring his longest stretch without a victory since 2020, Max Verstappen has remained calm about Red Bull’s current struggles. “Yeah, I mean, that happens, right?” he said. “I’ve had a lot of good years. Some people have never won a race in their career, so you can also look at it like that. 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 kinds of tracks. This weekend was just not our best weekend.”
With Red Bull now facing increasing pressure from competitors like McLaren, the rest of the season could prove to be a challenging test of the team’s resilience and adaptability.
