Max Verstappen delivered another great driving performance, pushing his RB20 beyond its potential. A qualifying session that once again highlighted his value compared to Sergio Perez, who was eliminated in Q1. Despite this internal result at Red Bull, the Dutchman was very critical of the team after the Las Vegas qualifying.
Red Bull is paying the price for not developing a low-drag rear wing for the faster circuits on the calendar. As in the Italian Grand Prix at the Monza circuit, the Milton Keynes team was forced to use a medium-drag wing, which brings too much aerodynamic resistance. A development choice that Max Verstappen did not agree with.
“We chose not to make [a low-drag rear wing],” Max Verstappen said after qualifying for the Las Vegas GP. “We don’t have one. So this has been the case since 2022. I don’t think we ever thought it would be this low. Then, with the budget cap, you make priorities, and we shifted ours. Would I have liked to have a lower wing? Yes, definitely. Or at least a different shape, more efficient. We need to evaluate it, especially because there’s only one more year with these cars. I don’t know if it makes sense to do it, but for me, it’s as if we had thrown away two weekends because of this limit.” – the three-time Formula 1 world champion pointed out.
A choice that reflects a kind of technical stagnation at Red Bull, which did not expect such effective recovery from the competitors. In fact, in 2022 and 2023, the efficiency of the various RBs was a reference, but in 2024 the situation has reversed.
A scenario that has surprised Red Bull on several fronts, forcing them to take extreme measures to prevent their rivals from pulling ahead. The most significant example is the radical change in Hungary with the high-downforce RB20 and the heavily cut mobile flap.
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