F1 News: Is Max Verstappen Crumbling Under Ferrari Pressure? Fred Vasseur Questions Mistakes

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur discusses Max Verstappen's recent errors and pressures from competing teams.

May 2, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) talks with the media in advance of the F1 Miami Grand Prix at the Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

The recent performances of reigning Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen have not gone unnoticed, with Ferrari’s team principal Fred Vasseur highlighting an unusual increase in mistakes by the Dutch driver. According to Vasseur, these slip-ups may signal mounting pressure on Red Bull Racing from rival teams.

Vasseur has scrutinized Verstappen’s recent outings, pointing specifically to struggles like those witnessed at Imola where Verstappen found it tough to keep pace with McLaren’s Lando Norris at the end of the race. Additionally, a critical error during the final run in Q3 at Monaco was cited by Vasseur as indicative of the increased strain on Red Bull. This pressure, according to Vasseur, stems from being pushed out of their habitual dominant stance by newly competitive forces such as Ferrari and McLaren.

He commented to the media following the Monaco Grand Prix, as quoted by GP Blog:

"No, I don't want to draw any conclusions about this weekend, but if you look at the last two or three weekends, I think Max made more mistakes in Imola than in the last three seasons.

"If you can stay in your comfort zone every time with the strategy and everything else, you don't make mistakes. They were in that situation, but now they have to push more."

Despite these challenges, Vasseur remains sure of Red Bull’s capability to address and overcome these difficulties. He continued:

"They will come back though, I'm not worried about that. They will be back quickly and be strong."

Looking ahead to the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, Vasseur commented:

"And you also do have low-speed corners, so some corners are similar to Monaco. But overall, if you look at how we performed in Melbourne, we did well in Imola, in Miami we also went well. With different tyre compounds, different types of tarmac and different layouts, we did quite well. I think it will remain exciting until the end."