Max Verstappen emerged as the winner of the Emilia Romagna GP in spite of encountering numerous problems with his RB20 car. The Red Bull team faced several challenges with their challenger, which almost resulted in Verstappen losing out to McLaren’s competitor. Nevertheless, Verstappen was able to achieve a victory in the race, although he faced considerable difficulties on the track.
Verstappen openly expressed the issues he encountered during the initial practice sessions in Italy. Additionally, he also expressed his dissatisfaction with the car, as it proved to be extremely challenging to drive. Consequently, after the race, the reigning world champion mentioned that his body suffered greatly. The 26-year-old claimed that he felt physically exhausted due to the rough Imola circuit.
Verstappen stated that after only completing 20 laps, he began to feel the impact of the uneven roads around the Italian circuit. He could sense every bump affecting his back, causing him further pain. Therefore, the race winner eagerly looked forward to lying in bed and resting properly after the grueling weekend.
In the 2023 season, Max Verstappen and Red Bull experienced an overwhelmingly successful campaign with their powerful RB19 car. Consequently, the team was expected to deliver a similar performance this time around. However, the Austrian outfit has already suffered defeats in two out of the seven races held so far. Therefore, Verstappen believed that this year’s performance was his best, considering all the other factors.
The way Red Bull managed to overcome a challenging start to the Italian weekend was reassuring. The 26-year-old mentioned that things began to look positive after the qualifying session, where he equaled the late Formula 1 legend’s record for consecutive pole positions. However, the team struggled to stay on top during the main race due to Verstappen’s difficulties with the hard compounds.
Consequently, Red Bull will address the issues they faced in Italy and strive to achieve better performances in the future. The team has minimized errors and currently holds the lead in the 2024 constructors’ championship. However, rival teams have been steadily closing the gap, which promises an exciting battle in the upcoming events.