Red Bull doesn’t perform well with Verstappen in Monaco. In F1, as is tradition in Monte Carlo, qualifying is the most fascinating moment of the weekend. With current cars—both in terms of size and performance—drivers and race engineers must always stay alert to manage time attacks effectively and avoid hindering rivals during outlaps or tyre warm-up laps.
For Red Bull, Saturday in Monaco looked very similar to last year’s. The engineers at Milton Keynes worked hard to provide a car capable of battling McLaren and Ferrari. However, the rivals’ superiority over a single lap was quite clear. From FP3 onward, Verstappen complained about issues with the soft compound, calling it literally “undriveable.”
The Dutchman’s feeling was confirmed by his best lap being set after a long stint on medium tyres. As in Imola, several teams struggled to get the Pirelli C6 compound into the optimal operating window. The reigning F1 world champion qualified in fifth, unable to improve his time in the second Q3 run.
Lewis Hamilton’s penalty opens new scenarios
During Q1 at Massenet, Max had to avoid the SF-25 of Lewis, who was driving slowly due to incorrect guidance from Riccardo Adami. The stewards promptly investigated and penalized the Anglo-Caribbean driver, which moved Jos’s son up to fourth.
To be fair, the two drivers cleared the air calmly after qualifying. The Dutch champion understood that Hamilton had been “victim” of poor pit wall communication. Although the Hasselt native admitted he is against this type of penalty, he recalled the infringement against Russell in Qatar, for which he himself was punished.
Max’s message is clear: the rules around infringements are often too harsh, but if the benchmark is Losail 2024, then consistency in judgment is necessary. Ahead of him, the Dutch ace will face the McLaren drivers and Charles Leclerc, who brought the SF-25 within a whisker of pole in his home city.
Red Bull can take advantage of help from their Faenza “cousins”
Two pit stops will be mandatory today. Hamilton’s penalty, at least on paper, deprives Ferrari of the chance to fight the two-pronged McLaren threat. Needless to say, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris will aim to maximize their own goals, as they highlighted in a light-hearted post-qualifying exchange. But what about Red Bull?
As often happens, Verstappen cannot rely on his teammate, who managed only twelfth. However, Racing Bulls—and especially Isack Hadjar—delivered an impressive qualifying session. The Frenchman will start just behind the four-time champion from P6. Unless there’s a “sporting suicide,” Max likely won’t need to worry much about what’s behind him at the start.
If the Moroccan-born rookie holds onto sixth after the first lap, he could become a formidable ally in Verstappen’s race. It’s clear that Racing Bulls will aim to get the most out of Hadjar’s race. Still, it’s hard to believe that Racing Bulls would be an obstacle rather than an asset for Red Bull strategists in the broader strategy picture.
The feeling is that Christian Horner’s team intends to limit damage in what is seen as an unfavourable race for the RB21, trying to take advantage of any opportunities. In short, after qualifying, Verstappen did not appear particularly disappointed. There’s suffering ahead in Monaco’s tight confines, yes—but things could unfold differently than expected.
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