Max Verstappen Puzzled as His Dominant Red Bull Turns into an Unruly “Monster”
Max Verstappen, who once enjoyed a seemingly unbeatable Red Bull car, is now bewildered by its dramatic decline. After a difficult weekend at the Italian Grand Prix, Verstappen could only manage to qualify in seventh and finished sixth in the race, a stark contrast to last season’s dominance.
“Last year we had a great car, the most dominant car ever,” a visibly dejected Verstappen said after the race. “And we’ve basically turned it into a monster. We have to turn it around.”
The contrast between last year and this season couldn’t be more apparent. At the same track last year, Verstappen set a record for 10 consecutive wins in a single season, as he cruised towards the title. Now, he faces his longest winless streak since 2020, with six straight races without a victory. His once comfortable lead in the drivers’ standings is shrinking, race by race, thanks to the surging McLaren driver Lando Norris.
On Sunday, Norris finished third behind his teammate Oscar Piastri and race winner Charles Leclerc. Leclerc’s daring one-stop strategy delighted Ferrari fans at Monza. Meanwhile, Norris, with his podium finish, managed to cut Verstappen’s lead to 62 points. McLaren’s progress also brought them within just eight points of Red Bull in the constructors’ championship, raising concerns for Red Bull’s dominance.
Despite these setbacks, Verstappen remains aware of the challenges ahead. “At the moment, both championships are not realistic,” he admitted. His frustration was clear as he reflected on the car’s sudden decline in performance over the last few months, from dominance to undrivable.
“I’ve given as much feedback as I can to the team in recent weeks, but unfortunately, I don’t have a degree in engineering or aerodynamics,” Verstappen quipped, pointing to the complexity of the situation. “Now it’s up to the team to come with a lot of changes with the car because we basically went from a very dominant car to an undrivable car in the space of, what, six to eight months? That is very weird for me, and we need to really turn the car upside down.”
With eight races left in the season, including upcoming challenges at Austin, Texas, Mexico City, and Abu Dhabi—where Verstappen has enjoyed success in recent years—the Dutch driver remains skeptical. “It doesn’t matter. With how we are at the moment, we are bad everywhere,” he lamented, indicating how Red Bull’s issues extend across the board.
Norris, on the other hand, is quietly confident about his team’s title chances, despite some missed opportunities at Monza. While his teammate Piastri’s chase for victory fell short, McLaren opted not to instruct the drivers to swap positions, a move that would have given Norris crucial points in the title race.
“I’m not here just to beg for someone to let me pass,” Norris said when asked about the potential team order. “He [Piastri] drove a better race than me, so I finished third, and that’s where I deserved to finish.” However, he acknowledged that prioritizing his title push would have been helpful.
“It’s a tough one,” Norris continued. “I wouldn’t say we’re running out of time, but time is going away slowly, and I still believe we can do it. The pace is obviously great. I still believe we probably have close to if not the best car again today.”
Despite his personal frustration, Norris remains hopeful. “I don’t know, it’s not for me to decide, it’s for the team,” he said. “When you’re fighting for a championship, you want every little thing, and I’m doing everything I can. The best way is simply to win the race, and I didn’t do that today because of some silly things.”
As the season heads into its final stages, the rivalry between Norris and Verstappen promises to intensify. For now, Verstappen’s focus remains on turning around the fortunes of his once-dominant Red Bull, while Norris eyes every opportunity to close the gap and mount a serious challenge for the title.
