Major Red Bull F1 ERROR to blame for Las Vegas Grand Prix disaster

Christian Horner, Helmut Marko, Max Verstappen, Red Bull, Las Vegas, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Major Red Bull ERROR to blame for Las Vegas Grand Prix disaster

Red Bull have made a major mistake going into the Las Vegas GP weekend

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Friday 22 November 2024 19:27 Updated: 21:46

Red Bull have made a major error as they endured a nightmare start to their Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend.

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez languished towards the bottom of the timesheets after Thursday, local time in Las Vegas, the nighttime practice sessions finishing with the Dutchman P17, and his team-mate P19.

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The champion did not complete a run on the soft tyres during the second practice session, which partially explains his poor time in comparison to the rest of the field.

However, after FP2 Verstappen complained about the lack of grip on-track, and that Red Bull's one-lap pace was slower compared to their competitors.

The Las Vegas GP weekend got off to a poor start for Red Bull

Max Verstappen complained about the lack of grip on-track

Red Bull issue exposed at Las Vegas GP

Not only did the track conditions cause problems for Red Bull, but also their choice of rear wing for the Las Vegas GP weekend has hindered their performance.

The team lost out to their rivals on the straights, with the likes of Ferrari and McLaren using a low-drag configuration rear wing which suits high-speed circuits such as Vegas.

However, this error cannot be easily remedied according to Red Bull chief Helmut Marko, who revealed that the team do not have an alternative wing with them in Las Vegas.

"We don't have another rear wing, a smaller rear wing, as we see it on our competitors. It would be more helpful, for sure,” Marko said to Autosport.