Max Verstappen F1 news: Helmut Marko issues Red Bull failings blame admission

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Marko issues astonishing Verstappen struggles blame admission

Helmut Marko reflects on the reason for Red Bull's recent poor form

Jay Winter

Thursday 5 September 2024 20:57

Red Bull Racing's Helmut Marko has suggested that the team are to blame for Max Verstappen's recent struggles, following a disappointing performance at the Italian Grand Prix.

Despite high hopes for their latest developments, the team were left struggling for pace in Monza, with Verstappen only able to improve from seventh on the grid to a sixth-place finish, crossing the line nearly 38 seconds behind race winner Charles Leclerc.

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In an interview with Sky Germany, Marko reflected on the team's missteps throughout the season, highlighting the unpredictability of the car's behaviour as a key issue.

"It just reacts too unpredictably," Marko stated.

"One moment it’s understeering, then it’s oversteering, and at the entrance of a corner, it’s unstable under braking."

Max Verstappen struggled to make an impression in Monza

The Red Bull driver only managed to finish sixth

Red Bull's upgrade failings

The decision to implement significant upgrades aimed at boosting the car's competitiveness appears to have backfired. According to Marko, the RB20 lost its balance, resulting in a lack of confidence for the drivers and ultimately hampering their ability to extract the car's full potential.

"There are so many factors contributing to this problem. At some point, with the updates, we lost the balance, and with that, the ability to move the car quickly," he said.

Red Bull's struggles were evident throughout the weekend at Monza, with the team failing to match the pace of their top rivals.

A two-stop strategy during the race did little to improve their fortunes, as Leclerc dominated with a one-stop strategy to claim victory in front of the home crowd.

Helmut Marko was unimpressed by the team's performance

The disappointing result has prompted Red Bull to reassess their approach moving forward.

Marko revealed that the team has already begun to reverse the changes made to the car in an effort to regain their competitive edge.

"The strategy, or rather what was realised and decided yesterday, is to go back to where we took the wrong turn," he added.

"How quickly that can be done, we’ll see. We’re starting with Baku, and we’re actually quite confident because, broadly speaking, even if we have 20 points less downforce, it’s still better—the drivers can push, they have confidence, and tyre wear is under control."

With the next race on the calendar in Azerbaijan, Red Bull will be under pressure to bounce back quickly.

The decision to revert to a more stable configuration could prove crucial as they seek to regain the form that has made them a dominant force in recent seasons.