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From someone with a subscription. Translated with DeepL.com:
From Erik van Haren:
It’s actually a pretty good trivia question: when was the last time Max Verstappen failed to finish in the top 5 in three consecutive Formula 1 races? For the correct answer, we have to go back nine (!) years. In 2017, the Dutchman retired three times in a row—in Canada, Azerbaijan, and Austria—due to technical issues.
Verstappen had prepared himself for the fact that Red Bull wouldn’t immediately be the dominant team this year. A pipe dream, given it was their first season with their own engine. But the problems lie much more with the car itself than with the power unit, as he had already indicated two weeks earlier in China.
It was no coincidence that after the race at Suzuka, where he was stuck behind his former teammate Pierre Gasly (Alpine), Verstappen spoke somewhat encouragingly over the radio, noting that Red Bull now has a month to analyze where the car’s problems are coming from. After all, the next race isn’t until early May in Miami.
The biggest problem for Red Bull right now is that it doesn’t know where the issues are coming from. Verstappen drove in Japan with quite a few new parts on his RB22, but by his own account, his car felt very unpredictable and inconsistent. Try maintaining confidence in the equipment under those circumstances.
Red Bull will therefore have to thoroughly investigate how to eliminate the car’s biggest issues. And Verstappen, too, will have plenty of time to reflect in the coming weeks—for example, on his own racing career.
For the first time in his career, Verstappen (28) is openly expressing doubts about his future in Formula 1. Perhaps some outsiders, lacking insight into the situation, might think: he’s not at the front for once and wants to quit right away.
Verstappen’s biggest frustration, however, isn’t Red Bull’s lack of competitiveness, but the regulations. An early departure this year isn’t on the table, but the idea of calling it quits after this season—despite a contract running through 2028—is definitely on the Dutchman’s mind. “How do I motivate myself right now? That’s a fair question. Let me put it this way: every morning when I get up, I convince myself to try again.”
And let it be clear that Verstappen isn’t the only one critical of the current regulations, in which half the power comes from the engine’s electric components. The footage from qualifying at a renowned circuit like Suzuka was at times alarming, with drivers having to lift off the throttle early and/or downshift.
And even in the races, the overtaking maneuvers often feel unnatural, aside from a few impressive moves by, for example, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) in Japan. Much more often, you’d see a driver overtake a car ahead, only to be overtaken himself a few seconds later.
It’s like watching a soccer game where goals are constantly being overturned by VAR interventions. Verstappen: “Especially here on this track, with two straights right after each other, you could barely overtake. Because if you managed to do so, your battery would be drained again and you’d be out of the running. And in qualifying, you can’t go full throttle. To drive a fast lap, you have to slow down through the corners. It shouldn’t be like that.”
If Formula 1 officials had assigned an employee to delete negative comments on social media, that person would still have been busy next week. Under the qualifying footage, thousands of pessimistic comments from fans were everywhere, while many drivers were also highly critical.
And so virtually all drivers are insisting on changes. It is up to Formula 1’s top brass and the FIA to come up with solutions. Although it is impossible to overhaul an entire set of regulations after just a few races, reducing the impact of the battery could at least be a first step toward appeasing the critical drivers (and fans).
“Maybe we should use the term ‘safety’ more often, because when it comes to safety, the rules can often be adjusted quickly,” said Verstappen. He was referring to the hard crash involving Oliver Bearman (Haas), who was suddenly confronted with a massive speed difference compared to Franco Colapinto of Alpine, who was driving ahead of him.
Verstappen is hoping above all for major changes by 2027. Those changes will be what convinces him to continue in this sport. And then it will be up to Red Bull to convince the Dutchman that the team is still the right place for him.
Unlike in previous years, triggering the performance clause in his contract—which always happens around the summer break and is based on his position in the World Championship standings—won’t be a problem, if it comes to that.
And Verstappen won’t have to worry about a lack of interest from other teams. You can bet that Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is still closely following developments surrounding Red Bull and Verstappen. But first, Verstappen still has a few other crucial decisions to make.
