Things have recently become quieter about a switch from Max Verstappen to Mecredes. But after the Monaco GP, that could change again.
F1-Insider.com learned: Certain events in Monaco could lead to the three-time world champion becoming a "Silver Arrow" driver
next year.
Firstly: Verstappen no longer trusts the technology of the dominant team of recent years and feels that the engineers do not take him seriously enough. After five of a possible eight victories this season, he is clearly leading the World Championship with 169 points ahead of Monaco winner Charles Leclerc (Ferrari, 138 points) - but Verstappen's confidence that the Red Bull will be able to compete on a par with Ferrari and the increasingly strong McLaren team in the future is dwindling.
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko (81) confirmed this to F1-Insider.com. Marko: "If we change the height, we lose a lot of downforce. That's why we are limited in this area. However, we believe that we will still be superior on conventional tracks like Barcelona. If not, then we really have a problem.”
The Graz driver is counting on the skills of his Mozart at the wheel: “Nevertheless, I believe that the Verstappen factor will also be decisive on tracks that are less favorable for us,” he says. “He is in top form and makes the difference. There is no other driver who can drive at the limit on every lap of the race without making mistakes.”
But there is a second technical problem with the Red Bull team, which is used to success. The simulator provides misleading data. Marko: “In Monaco, for example, you could drive hard over the curbs in the simulator without any problems. On the real track, that was no longer the case.” The problem with the simulator is not new. For two years now – as F1-Insider.com learned – Verstappen has been complaining about incorrect data from the computer. But the technicians have repeatedly played it down. This annoys the Dutchman.
The mood in the team, which has been at rock bottom since the scandal surrounding team boss Christian Horner (alleged harassment of an employee), is also contributing to the growing frustration. Father Jos Verstappen even directly links Red Bull's weakness to the Horner affair. He ranted in the Dutch media: "Perhaps they should concentrate more on their careers and mutual communication rather than on other things.
Red Bull needs to find out exactly where the problems lie, because teams like Ferrari and McLaren are getting closer. Max is still hiding the problems, but it is becoming obvious with his teammate Sergio Perez - the difference between the two is currently huge. The time when Red Bull had the dominant car seems to be over. There will be races again in which Red Bull will be in good shape, but they definitely have more problems than in recent years. I am excited to see how they plan to solve this."
This fits in with the fact that the controversial team boss Christian Horner is unconsciously doing everything he can to drive Verstappen into the arms of the Stuttgart-based company. In Monaco, he is said to have criticised the three-time champion for making a mistake in the first corner in the crucial qualifying segment. That would have cost him a better result than sixth place.
Logically, that didn't go down well in the Verstappen camp. The unpopular team boss failed to mention that his team-mate Perez only came 18th with the difficult-to-drive Red Bull.
The whole German article.
