Max Verstappen will face a challenging start at the Italian Grand Prix, beginning from the fourth row of the grid. The Dutch driver, currently in a tight battle for the championship, is hoping his rival, Lando Norris, encounters difficulties off the line to gain an early advantage.
Red Bull, once dominant in the Formula 1 pecking order, has seen its performance dip significantly. According to Team Principal Christian Horner, the team is now operating with what he describes as the “fourth-fastest car” on the grid, trailing behind competitors like McLaren and Mercedes. Horner expressed concerns that if this trend continues, Red Bull could lose both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships.
Adding to the tension, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has called for an investigation into the performance gains of McLaren and Mercedes at Monza. However, Verstappen has taken a different stance, urging the team to focus on their own shortcomings.
In an interview with Dutch outlet De Telegraaf, Verstappen shared his thoughts on where Red Bull might have faltered at the high-speed Monza circuit. “Although it doesn’t help here that we don’t have a special Monza rear wing,” he said. “That’s not ideal, considering the top speed. We never had that in the past years either, but then the car was good enough to compensate for that.”
Verstappen also noted the team’s decision to prioritize spending in other areas rather than developing a specialized rear wing for Monza. “Now it’s something we might have to do next year. Now the team has made a different choice and they’d rather spend the money on something else. But if you already have problems with the car, this makes it even worse. But of course, it’s not our only problem,” he added.
As the race weekend unfolds, all eyes will be on Verstappen and Red Bull to see if they can overcome their recent struggles and keep their championship hopes alive.