Red Bull and Max Verstappen are absent from the top fight, which in Formula 1 is already news. The reasons are mainly twofold: a lack of grip and ineffective tire management. This situation stems from a compromise that isn’t working as it should, also making the rear of the RB21 unstable. In short, everything went much worse than expected.
Tire issues concern Max
Verstappen was very clear, focusing on the problem of tire overheating. This is an area where “our” driver notes Red Bull has never been particularly strong over the course of the season. The same occurred yesterday in qualifying, when the rear of the RB21 tended to slide significantly. The team tried to correct the situation with balance adjustments, but this worked only partially.
The balance of the Austrian car did not satisfy the Dutchman, with a general lack of grip that undermined his confidence behind the wheel. This is a major issue, which Max believes will also affect the race, where he will be forced to slow down in several corners to avoid destroying the tires, more so than other teams. The four-time world champion tried everything, changing setup direction multiple times.
Unfortunately, no solution succeeded. The final configuration chosen works better than the others, but the car remains too slow to compete with the leaders. One of the RB21’s issues also involves vehicle dynamics: the car was unstable, especially during direction changes, where the rear could not properly follow the front under load shifts.
The RB21 floor hitting the track
The car’s performance in the “snake” section was glaring, where in qualifying the Dutchman suffered yet another snap. A significant mistake, with the floor hitting the reference plane. Max himself mentioned it, suggesting to turn up the audio to notice what was happening. For this reason, expectations for the race are low, according to a frustrated Max.
Oscar Piastri is in deep crisis and will start seventh, two positions behind Red Bull number 1. However, Lando Norris will start the Grand Prix from pole alongside Charles Leclerc, and the race looks set to offer him a great triumph. Although the Belgian talent appeared “raw” in his comments, over the 300-kilometer distance he will give everything to compete and keep his championship dream alive.
The forced setup choice
The team brought an updated floor, intended to provide greater stability for airflow through the car’s underfloor channels. We expected a car that, along with McLaren, could dominate the central section. Yet, as noted, the car suffered rear instability in cornering. This is partly due to the compromise chosen to optimize the slower sections of the track.
Given the strengths of the Austrian car, the team had to sacrifice fast sections to optimize the slower, more technical parts for better corner entry. In terms of suspension, they reduced roll resistance, penalizing vertical load generation. Ultimately, the compromise on track was less competitive than those found by McLaren and Ferrari.
This explains why Max complained of an endemic lack of grip, not just limited to one axle. Max Verstappen noted that, compared to Friday, the qualifying feel was very different. A total grip deficiency is often due to the tires and, above all, how they are activated during the preparation lap—one of the factors Max highlights in his technical assessment.
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