Max Verstappen, the race winner, celebrated his victory at the end of the Formula 1 World Championship event, the Canadian Grand Prix, which took place in Montreal, Canada, on June 9, 2024.
Verstappen believes that Red Bull will not have the same advantage it had in previous races of the 2024 Formula 1 season during the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix. Despite Red Bull’s dominance under the current ground effect regulations, their rivals have caught up through improvements and Red Bull’s weakness on the curbs has been exposed, resulting in a more intense competition. Verstappen faced defeat in Miami and Monaco, while McLaren and Ferrari emerged victorious, and he faced strong competition in Imola and Canada. However, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ George Russell anticipate that Red Bull will regain its position as the leading team on a conventional track in Barcelona.
Verstappen, on the other hand, dismisses speculation that he will achieve the same overwhelming victories he had in the early stages of the season. He acknowledges that the competition has significantly caught up, but he remains hopeful that the Barcelona track will be more favorable for their car.
Ferrari has accelerated a significant upgrade package for Barcelona, while Red Bull is preparing to introduce some components. However, Verstappen has warned that this does not guarantee improvements.
When asked about the possible difference, Verstappen replied: “It’s difficult to determine. You see, teams are constantly progressing and sometimes you simply have a better weekend than others due to the car’s setup. Take F2, for example. It’s the same car, but there’s still a substantial difference between teams and operations, which means mistakes can be made. We need to make sure we get it right. Naturally, this car should be more suited to the track, but we still need to find the right balance.”
Verstappen emphasized the importance of having a smoother weekend, especially after facing an electrical issue with his engine during FP1 in Canada. He explained: “It wasn’t just the setup; we had a few other problems that prevented us from having a flawless weekend. Lately, our car hasn’t been performing well on bumps and kerbs, so I hope things will be simpler this time.”
However, Verstappen expects fierce competition from McLaren, which has accumulated more points than any other team in the last three races, as well as Ferrari and Mercedes. He added: “I don’t expect an easy weekend because McLaren, for example, has been fast everywhere, and I believe they will be fast here too. Both Mercedes and Ferrari have also made significant progress recently. So, if you can perform well in Monaco and Montreal without issues on kerbs and still maintain good speed, then you should be competitive here too.”
