Max Verstappen goes straight to the heart of the problem: if Red Bull doesn’t give him a competitive car, their dominance risks collapsing and he may have to make difficult decisions.
Tension is rising in the Red Bull garage, with three-time world champion Max Verstappen speaking plainly: they need a competitive car, like the one that allowed him to dominate without rivals in 2023.
The comparison with the current RB21 – and with the already struggling RB20 from last season – is merciless. And the Dutchman knows it well: without a top-level car, even talent isn’t enough.
“Talent isn’t enough if the car is lacking”
Max Verstappen has loudly called for a return to the technical level of 2023, a year in which he won the title with overwhelming superiority, finishing nearly 300 points ahead of teammate Sergio Perez. Today, however, the situation has changed: McLaren is closing in, Ferrari is more consistent, and Red Bull appears to be struggling with the new car.
The RB21, an evolution of the disappointing RB20, continues to show limits in adaptability and performance, to the point where both Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda are finding it difficult to find rhythm.
When asked by RacingNews365 about whether the Japanese teammate needs to improve, Max Verstappen shifted the focus to what he sees as the real priority:
“We need a fast car. If the car works, everything else takes care of itself,” said the reigning champion.
“Let’s look at 2023, for example,” he continued. “With a good car, we didn’t care what the other teams were doing in terms of strategy, because we beat them anyway. We need to get back to that level of performance.”
The reference to Imola, one of the few races where the setup was spot on, is no coincidence: there Max Verstappen was able to drive at his level without worrying about rival strategies.
However, Max Verstappen later admitted that the goal will always be to finish first and second every week, and that Red Bull is currently in a “difficult” position.
“Of course, as a team, we want to finish first and second every single weekend, but right now it’s difficult,” he said.
“We have very strong competition. McLaren is doing a great job. So we’ll keep working, trying to improve – for me, for Yuki – and we’ll see what we can do in the upcoming races.”
The pressure, then, is now on the Milton Keynes team. To keep winning, a technical reaction is needed – relying only on the raw talent of their champion is not enough.
Because, as Verstappen himself reiterated, the goal is clear: Red Bull must return to dominating.
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