The promised land for Max Verstappen has turned into a sort of hell. The Dutchman, who hasn't won for three weekends in a row, is slowly seeing his lead in the standings reduced. The last few races have been very difficult for Red Bull and the most serious thing is that there doesn't seem to be a solution to the problems. Max Verstappen himself during the Driver Parade in Hungary confessed to Daniel Ricciardo his concerns about the nature of the RB20, especially after the latest updates.
The last weekend in Hungary was particularly difficult for Max Verstappen and his garage. The Dutchman, who started third behind the two McLarens, was unable to even get on the podium, even becoming the protagonist of a heated debate with his race engineer. Not being able to achieve the desired results is obviously frustrating for Max Verstappen who confessed his fears to Daniel Ricciardo before the GP.
The RB20 has obvious limitations, unlike the McLaren which is at ease on every track despite not bringing significant updates between one weekend and another. The Austrian team has already had to take action by returning to Budapest to a philosophy that is far from the one adopted at the beginning of the year. And it's certainly curious that all this started to come out after Adrian Newey's departure.
Verstappen confesses Red Bull's problems to Ricciardo
It is difficult to think that a team like Red Bull, after having played two seasons without worries of any kind, after having dominated on every circuit, could lose the championship leadership. Red Bull not only had to respond to the competition that has come forcefully closer this season, but at the same time it had to find a solution to the problems encountered on the RB20, the daring single-seater that took to the track in Bahrain to the astonished gaze of those who, comparing it with the single-seater of the previous year, the RB19 asked: "will it be another war machine despite being so different?"
Understanding this wasn't possible right away. It took months to do. In fact, the difficulties at the beginning were masked by the fact that certain tracks did not highlight the limits of the RB20. But something has inevitably changed, particularly in conjunction with development.
Compared to the RB19, the RB20 seems destined to remain confined in its characteristics. At Spa Red Bull should find those characteristics that the RB20 likes but what do we do for the rest of the season?
Verstappen knows that the leadership, especially in the constructors' championship, is at risk. McLaren is going strong even without updates and above all it can count on two similar drivers. This could be a problem in the drivers' championship but in the constructors' championship the strength of the two frontrunners can be felt.
“The corners could be better, but the characteristics of the car are still the same. Very slow on entry, indomitable rear end and lots of understeer when cornering. I think we went too far." Max Verstappen confessed to Daniel Ricciardo even before the race started. With or without the updates the situation does not seem to have changed and this could represent a big headache for the rest of the season. Max needs Red Bull but even more Red Bull needs Max to defend their titles.
Statement source: FormulaPassion
