Jos Verstappen Takes Aim At Red Bull - 'Take A Good Look In The Mirror'

Saajan Jogia | Aug 25, 2024

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Jos Verstappen walk in the Paddock prior to practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on February 29, 2024 in Bahrain, Bahrain. / Clive Mason/Getty Images

Max Verstappen's father, Jos Verstappen has called out Red Bull for the way it handled its upgrades in recent months, causing Max Verstappen to work harder and miss out on race wins. The dwindling championship scores have raised an alarm for Jos, prompting him to urge Red Bull to keep a tab on McLaren in the rear mirror.

Since the introduction of mid-season upgrades by McLaren, it has gained ground on Red Bull by a significant margin, often contending for the top positions. The resurgence of Mercedes and Ferrari has also played a huge role, causing the Dutchman to win only 7 out of the 15 races thus far, against last year's tally of 19 races wins out of 22 Grands Prix.

While Red Bull team principal Christian Horner predicted this phase of diminishing returns, the recent race results have been overwhelming for Red Bull to cope with. The Dutch Grand Prix was a clear example of the strides McLaren took with its minor upgrades, paving the way for Lando Norris to secure a dominating victory, leading Verstappen in second place by a massive twenty-two seconds.

Oscar Piastri narrowly missed out on a podium finish, trailing Ferrari's Charles Leclerc by nearly two seconds. However, his performance, combined with that of his teammate, was enough for McLaren to make significant gains in the Constructors' Championship. Before the race weekend at Zandvoort, Red Bull led McLaren by 42 points, but by the end of the race, the gap had narrowed to 30 points.

At this pace, McLaren is not only poised to overtake Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship but also to position Norris as a serious contender against Max Verstappen in the Drivers' Standings, with the current gap shrinking to just 70 points. In light of Red Bull reverting to its old floor for the Dutch GP, Max's father decided to wake the team up. He told De Telegraaf, as reported by RacingNews365.com:

"Maybe I shouldn't say it, but I'm doing it anyway.

"The fact that you have to go back to the car from the beginning of this year says enough. 

“They just don't have it right here at the moment. I think they should take a good look in the mirror."

Commenting on how McLaren has been narrowing the gap in the championship, he added:

"Max knew this was coming.

“He just didn't have a chance. This way it's going to be really tough the rest of the year.

“Max is doing everything he can, but doesn't have the material to finish it. It was already exceptional that he qualified second.”