Max Verstappen has been engaged in fierce battles for victories following Red Bull’s apparent inability to make further progress. Verstappen, along with Helmut Marko and Christian Horner, has dominated the F1 scene for the past four years. With an impressive career record of 60 wins, the Dutchman’s advantage is gradually diminishing due to the recent rise of competitors. Verstappen is hoping that Red Bull can quickly resolve their issues with kerbs, as this is becoming a major hindrance to his success.
At the start of the season, Red Bull had high hopes of replicating their success from 2023. They aimed to surpass their previous year’s achievements and have a flawless season. However, the team discovered a peculiar weakness in the RB20’s performance, particularly on circuits where kerbs play a crucial role in lap times. The stiff suspension setup that Red Bull traditionally favors proved to be a disadvantage on tracks like Monaco, causing Verstappen and his team to struggle.
Verstappen revealed that the engineers at Milton Keynes were unable to rectify the issues with the RB20. This unfortunate situation has hindered their chances of winning races and has allowed competitors like Ferrari, McLaren, and others to gain an advantage. Verstappen is hopeful that the situation will improve soon and that the RB20 will once again perform well on kerbs.
While the past few weeks have been intense, Verstappen recently expressed his boredom with the current F1 format and even contemplated an early retirement. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the oldest driver on the grid, Fernando Alonso, explained how his passion for racing prevents him from considering retirement at the age of 42. Alonso drew parallels to his own career, recounting how he once believed he had signed his last contract as the reigning champion but ultimately returned to F1 after a two-year break and discovered untapped potential within himself.
Despite Alonso’s perspective, Verstappen has been vocal about his opposition to adding more races to the F1 calendar. However, the sport’s interest in expanding the schedule, despite drivers’ concerns about burnout, could potentially push Verstappen to reconsider his future in F1.