Max Verstappen laments 'mystery' bad starts off the line

Max Verstappen

Verstappen laments 'mystery' bad starts off the line

Honda need to find a solution.

Martin Macdonald

Tuesday 3 September 2019 11:55 Updated: 12:06

Max Verstappen believes Honda need to find a solution to Red Bull’s “mystery” poor starts off the line at the beginning of races, as they were one of the best teams at Lights Out last year.

The Dutchman was in scintillating form ahead of the summer break, winning in Austria and Germany, but the return to action was a disappointing one at the Belgian Grand Prix as he only lasted one lap before retiring after colliding with Kimi Raikkonen.

Having previously stated that the bad start off the line contributed to his retirement, he now recognises that Honda and Red Bull need to rectify the problem quickly.

“We are struggling this year to keep the wheelspin consistent,” Verstappen told Ziggo Sport.

“It’s even different with every engine, so it’s always a mystery if it will be ok or not. This year it’s gone wrong quite a lot, so we know what we need to work on.”

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Red Bull had a tumultuous relationship with their previous engine supplier, Renault, last season, with Verstappen continually praising the improvements since the change to Honda.

However, he says the starts were much better under the French manufacturer’s power units.

My race unfortunately ended in the first corner already. It is what it is. It was a weekend with a lot of mixed feelings. A big thanks for all the fans and the amazing support #OrangeArmy 🦁 #KeepPushing #BelgianGP 🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/sHk3FFhJWJ
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) September 1, 2019

“We were the second-best team on starts last year, and also the year before. So I really don’t think we suddenly don’t know how to do a good start,” he added.

“But what we don’t know now is how the engine will handle our input. We can try out a lot during testing and Honda is currently busy with that.

“They can see the things that need to be improved, but it takes time because it has to do with some characteristics of the engine.”

After failing to secure any points in Belgium, Verstappen lost vital ground in the drivers’ championship to Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton.