Max Verstappen Speaks Out On McLaren's 'Alarming' Championship Threat

Saajan Jogia | Aug 26, 2024

Jos And Max Verstappen / Red Bull Content Pool

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has emphasized that the current situation for the team is alarming considering the struggles it faces with the RB20's setup, and how McLaren has been catching up in the race for the championship. However, the Dutchman suggested the need to overcome the challenges without panicking.

Considering McLaren's recent form and Lando Norris' Dutch GP performance in particular, one could confidently say that the days are gone when Verstappen led the race and took off to the finish line without facing a challenge from any other driver.

The Dutchman began the race in second, but a flying start meant he was leading the race at the end of Turn 1. In typical Verstappen style, he managed to pull away from pole-sitter Norris for 18 laps before the McLaren man caught up and passed him to the end by maintaining a staggering 23-second lead at the finish line.

As opposed to last year's tally, where Verstappen won 19 out of the 22 Grands Prix, he has managed to only win 7 out of the 15 races this season so far. An upgrade to the RB20 F1 car upset its balance mid-season, diminishing the three-time world champion's pace. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez's struggles further widened the gap, giving McLaren a crucial chance to close in on the championship.

The Papaya team now trails Red Bull by only 30 points in the Constructors' Championship. Although Verstappen maintains a more comfortable 70-point lead over Norris in the Drivers' Standings, the situation remains a growing concern. Verstappen, who hasn't won a Grand Prix in the last five rounds has asked for urgent attention to be given to the car. He told the media:

“I think this weekend was just a bad weekend in general, so we need to understand that.

“The last few races already, they haven’t really been fantastic. So that, I think in a sense, was already a bit alarming.

“But we know that we don’t need to panic. We are just trying to improve the situation. And that’s what we are working on. But F1 is very complicated.”

Norris, whose MCL38 F1 car packed all the required punch, revealed that it would be "stupid" to dream of winning a championship with a 70-point difference to Verstappen. He added:

“I’ve been fighting for the championship since the first race of the year.

“There’s no sudden decision of ‘now I need to do better’. I’ve been working hard the whole year and I’m still 70 points behind Max so it’s pretty stupid to think of anything at the minute.

“I just take one race at a time and just keep doing what I’m doing now because there’s no point to think ahead and think of the rest. I don’t care about it at the minute.

“I’m just focused on one race at a time. So it’s not a question that I need to get asked every single weekend.”