MONTE-CARLO, MONACO – MAY 25: Max Verstappen, from the Netherlands, and Oracle Red Bull Racing, watch from the pit during qualifying ahead of the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix at Circuit de Monaco on May 25, 2024 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
The three-time Formula 1 champion, who emerged victorious in five of the first seven races, saw his streak of eight consecutive pole positions come to an end at the hands of local hero from Ferrari, Charles Leclerc.
However, this was just one aspect of disappointment for the Dutch driver, as he identified a fundamental flaw in a car that initially dominated the season but is now increasingly vulnerable.
Verstappen expressed his frustration, stating that the car feels like a go-kart, with no suspension and bouncing excessively, unable to absorb bumps and hits on the curbs. He counted the number of times he nearly hit the wall during his final lap. This issue has persisted since 2022, and Verstappen believes it cannot be resolved in a matter of weeks due to its fundamental nature.
Leclerc’s pole lap time of 1:10.270 seconds was nearly three tenths of a second faster than Verstappen’s best time. This was the first time since Mexico in the previous year that the Dutch ace, who triumphed in Monaco in 2021 and 2023, did not secure a place on the front row of the starting grid.
Furthermore, this was Verstappen’s lowest starting position since the United States Grand Prix in the same month, which he ultimately won during a season of unprecedented dominance.
The Monaco race is known for its few overtaking opportunities, with only 10 cases since 1950 where the winner came from a starting position lower than third place.
The Red Bull team boss, Christian Horner, acknowledged that the race is essentially decided unless there are safety car interventions. However, he remains optimistic about the team’s recovery ability.
Verstappen described Saturday’s performance as the “worst possible scenario” and expressed concern that other tracks this season may present similar challenges. He emphasized the difficulty of driving the car, stating that it feels like it’s on the limit, especially when encountering bumps.
Despite these difficulties, Verstappen was surprised by the tight competition in qualifying and attributed his rivals’ inability to nail the perfect lap as a contributing factor to his relative success.
His teammate, Sergio Perez, another former winner in Monaco, had an even worse result, failing to advance beyond the first qualifying session and qualifying in 18th place. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin)
