Max Verstappen clarified that the Red Bull upgrade package for the Emilia-Romagna GP was not a direct response to the improved pace of Ferrari and McLaren.
Red Bull has maintained its dominance in Formula 1 during the 2024 season. However, the team has faced setbacks in two of the first six races. Rival teams have been able to compete well against the Austrian powerhouse. To extract more speed from the car, the reigning world champions introduced updates to the RB20. However, Verstappen believes that these updates were not implemented in response to the rival team’s new pace.
Verstappen openly discussed the updates on the RB20. He made it clear that the team did not make these changes in response to their rivals’ improvements. The upgrade package had been planned for a long time. Additionally, the reigning world champion expressed satisfaction with the updates and emphasized the need for Red Bull to continue pushing throughout the season.
Following his defeat to Lando Norris in the previous race, Verstappen acknowledged that rival teams were closing in. If Red Bull does not perform at their best, they may face difficulties. The Dutch driver also stated that the first five races of the season were not as easy as fans initially believed.
Ferrari and McLaren have been closely monitoring Red Bull’s dominant pace since the start of the season. If Red Bull does not keep up with the updates during the season, the top three teams could engage in a fierce battle for the championship. However, Red Bull will continue to enhance the already fast RB20 and reduce the gap to their rivals. Therefore, Max Verstappen raised doubts about the capabilities of rival teams.
Verstappen highlighted that several teams are introducing updates to their cars at the same event. He specifically pointed out Ferrari’s extensive update package, which includes seven performance upgrades for the SF-24. As a result, the 26-year-old driver stated that the team was uncertain about their current position due to the rapid updates from their rivals.
Despite the increasing competition, Verstappen will continue to perform at the highest level of his career. The 26-year-old driver has followed a similar trajectory to the previous season. Therefore, Red Bull may maintain their strong performance and surpass their competitors as the season progresses. However, the outcome in the coming weeks is still to be seen.
