The 2024 season is proving to be an unexpected challenge for Red Bull, after years of unchallenged dominance. Max Verstappen, reigning world champion and current leader of the drivers' championship, has not won in three consecutive races, a rarity considering his recent exceptional form. Although Red Bull remains in the lead in the manufacturers ranking, the technical difficulties and the growing commitment of rivals, in particular McLaren, put the leadership of the Milton Keynes team at risk. In the context of this turbulent time, Max Verstappen shared his reflections in an interview with RTBF, focusing on his relationship with Gianpiero Lambiase, the race engineer with whom he collaborates closely.
Red Bull in difficulty in the first part of the season
The 2024 season has seen a significant change in the behavior of Red Bull and its cars, which are no longer able to dominate as in previous years. The performance of the RB20 has been problematic, with evident difficulties in tire wear and cornering, problems which have contributed to recent disappointing results, such as fourth place in Belgian Grand Prix.
The battle with McLaren is proving to be particularly difficult. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have shown exponential growth, making McLaren a real threat to Red Bull's dominance. With Norris overtaking Charles Leclerc in the drivers' standings and Piastri completing all races at 100%, McLaren gained ground and challenged Red Bull's leadership. In particular, the Woking team has significantly improved its reliability and performance, while Red Bull struggles to keep up.
To add to all this, Sergio Perez is not contributing as hoped. After a promising start to the season, the Mexican struggled to maintain a competitive position, often finding himself outside of the leading positions. His difficulty in achieving consistent results has put further pressure on Verstappen and Red Bull, which now faces growing competition and internal challenges.
Tensions and determination: the relationship between Max Verstappen and Lambiase
The tension very often then spills over onto the track, as in Hungary, where Max harshly criticized the team, ending up arguing over the radio with Gianpiero Lambiase, his track engineer. It is certainly not the first time that we have witnessed a very heated debate between the two, and Verstappen himself explained the reasons in an interview with the Belgians at RTBF.
“We both want to win, we're not here to come second or third. But we can't win every weekend. We are very critical, but that's how we are and some people are different. I aim for perfection, even if it is difficult to always reach it, but I want to work to get as close as possible. Sometimes there are moments of tension, but then everything works out perfectly.” said Verstappen.
