F1 News: ‘I Did Not Enjoy the Car’ - Verstappen’s Harsh Verdict on Red Bull’s RB20

Saajan Jogia | Nov 30, 2024

Nov 23, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) is introduced before the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has revealed that the RB20 will be scrutinized further to identify areas that need improvement. Despite securing his fourth championship, the Dutchman remains focused on gathering insights from the final races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. These findings will be instrumental in shaping a flawless title contender for the 2025 season.

Despite a strong start to the season, with Verstappen winning seven of the first ten Grands Prix, Red Bull faced issues with Sergio Perez's car after the Chinese Grand Prix. While Perez's dip in form was initially blamed for the struggles, it later emerged that the RB20 had a balance problem, which became evident when Verstappen encountered significant handling difficulties after the summer break.

Though Red Bull's United States Grand Prix upgrades helped overcome these issues, the car still lacked pace on select circuits. Verstappen admitted that the team has been aware of the areas that needed attention while developing the 2025 car. However, he remains eager to gather more insight in the final two rounds, hoping to collect additional data that could benefit the team next year. When asked if the upcoming races were more about knowing the car better, the four-time world champion said:

“Yeah, I think so.

“I mean, just trying to learn more about the car.

“Some things we already know that we want to change for next year, but maybe we find some other things in the car that can be better for next year.

“Because, of course, looking at the last races that we’ve had, we’ve not been the quickest, so I don’t expect that to suddenly change here.”

Verstappen revealed that through constant communication with his teammate, he learned that Perez faced similar challenges with the RB20. He acknowledged the tough season both drivers endured and emphasized that the primary focus now is improving the car's performance. He added:

“We were always talking, speaking, trying to improve the car.

“I also did not enjoy the car for most of the season in terms of handling. But you have to deal with that. Try to overcome the difficulties.

“Discuss with the engineers how we can improve the situation. That’s what we have done.

“The car has been a lot more driveable lately. But we’re still lacking a bit of performance to win races. But that’s how it is.

“We just now need to try and find performance in the car. But it’s been a difficult season for both of us in terms of driving the car in some places.”