Red Bull's Dilemma: Verstappen Trails McLaren

Verstappen finds himself outpaced, with Red Bull grappling to match McLaren’s F1 prowess.

Max Verstappen expressed frustration as he crossed the finish line in Q3 upon realising that his time was insufficient to secure a front row start. When asked about his third place, he mentioned a lack of pace, despite earlier statements that the upgrades to the Red Bull RB20 would be pivotal for the rest of the season.

“I tried, we’ve been a bit behind all weekend, and it was the same in qualifying. I tried, but it wasn’t enough. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what’s wrong, we’re lacking grip. But it’s so close that I hope we can keep up in tomorrow’s race,” Verstappen said, not concealing his frustration.

“I love competing, I’d like to be at the top of the fight and right now, it feels like we’re chasing and facing some difficult weekends. I’m not one to shy away from a battle, but I would say it’s a tricky situation.”

Naturally, the Dutchman hasn’t given up hope of winning the race: “The last few races have shown that McLaren was better than in qualifying. But tomorrow is another day, especially since there were clouds and rain, and I hope it will be different for us.”