Max Verstappen didn’t hold back in his criticism of the once-dominant Red Bull RB20 following the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, suggesting that the team’s engineers need to overhaul the car drastically—perhaps even “turning it upside down” in the upcoming races.
During qualifying at Monza, Verstappen and Red Bull found themselves perplexed as they went slower in Q3 than in Q2, ultimately securing a disappointing seventh-place starting position on Sunday. The balance issues that have plagued the RB20 all season continued, limiting Verstappen to a sixth-place finish on race day—far below the reigning champion’s expectations.
This latest setback extends Verstappen’s winless streak to six rounds, a sharp contrast to what was a promising start to the 2024 campaign. Frustrated with the car’s decline, Verstappen expressed his concerns to the media, stating, “We went from having a very dominant car to an undrivable one in just six to eight months. It’s very weird, and we need to turn the car upside down.”
Looking ahead, the next two races on the 2024 calendar are at Baku and Singapore, the latter of which posed significant challenges for Red Bull last year. When asked if he was particularly concerned about the upcoming race at Marina Bay, Verstappen replied, “It doesn’t matter where we are at the moment; we’re bad everywhere, so we need a lot of changes.”
Red Bull entered the season strong, with three one-two finishes in the first four races. However, speculation has mounted that the team’s decline began after Adrian Newey announced his departure in May. Despite the timing, Verstappen dismissed the idea that Newey’s exit is the root cause of their struggles, instead focusing on the need to correct the car’s trajectory. “We turned the most dominant car ever into a monster, so now we have to turn it around,” he said.
Verstappen acknowledged that while he lacks an engineering or aerodynamics degree, he has provided the team with all the feedback he can. The challenge now lies in implementing those changes, a task that won’t be easy to accomplish quickly.
The situation became even more pressing as both Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez finished behind McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, who secured second and third places, respectively. McLaren’s strong performance has brought them within 12 points of Red Bull in the Constructors’ standings, with Norris trailing Verstappen by 62 points in the Drivers’ standings.
With Red Bull’s issues persisting, Verstappen voiced his concerns about the team’s chances in both championships, stating, “At the moment, neither championship is realistic for us.” As the season progresses, Red Bull faces an uphill battle to regain their former dominance and stave off the rising threat from McLaren.
