The recent Monaco Grand Prix showed another struggle for Red Bull and Verstappen, following their challenges in Miami and Imola. While Verstappen managed to win in Imola, Monaco proved to be a disappointment for the current Formula 1 Champion and his team. They failed to qualify in the top three and ultimately finished the race in sixth place. Sergio Perez, who qualified in 18th, was forced out of the race after a mistake shared with Haas’ Kevin Magnussen.
Vasseur, the team principal of Alfa Romeo Racing, was questioned by the press about the vulnerabilities of Verstappen and Red Bull under pressure. He acknowledged that Verstappen made more mistakes in Imola compared to previous races. However, Vasseur also acknowledged that Red Bull will bounce back and remain strong throughout the season.
Looking ahead to the next race in Canada, Vasseur mentioned that the track characteristics, including the kerbs and low-speed corners, may pose a challenge for Verstappen and his RB20. Nevertheless, Vasseur believes that Red Bull has performed well in different conditions and layouts, indicating that the competition will remain fierce until the end of the season.
Since the introduction of the current F1 regulations in 2022, Red Bull has been dominant, especially in 2023, where they won all races except the Singapore GP. When asked if Red Bull has hidden weaknesses that only become apparent under pressure, Vasseur pointed out that last year they had a significant gap to the rest of the field. However, this season, the competition is much tighter and even a small difference can make a big impact.
After his victory in Monaco, Leclerc remains in second place in the F1 Drivers’ Championship of 2024, trailing Verstappen by just 31 points. Ferrari is also in a strong position in the Constructors’ Standings, sitting just 24 points behind Red Bull. (Report by Agnes Carlier from Monaco)
