Red Bull Struggles Deepen After ‘Too Slow’ Friday
Max Verstappen and the Red Bull Formula 1 team faced another challenging start to the race weekend after struggling with pace on Friday if. The reigning world champion, who has often overcome difficult opening practice sessions in the past, found himself once again grappling with balance issues that hindered his performance.
Throughout the 2023 season, Red Bull developed a strong reputation for turning things around overnight, thanks to extensive simulator work and fine-tuning adjustments back at their factory. However, early indications suggest that the RB20’s problems may not be as easily fixable this time around. Verstappen himself expressed concern over the car’s lack of speed, admitting that the team appeared to be “too slow” compared to their rivals.
Friday’s practice sessions saw Red Bull lagging behind, with both Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez struggling to match the pace of their closest competitors. The team’s engineers worked tirelessly to identify potential improvements, but initial feedback from the drivers suggested that the RB20 was not responding well to setup changes.
One of the key issues plaguing the team is balance instability, a problem that Red Bull has encountered before but has typically managed to resolve overnight. However, with the competition becoming fiercer, particularly from the likes of Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes, any misstep in performance could prove costly in the championship fight.
Verstappen, known for his relentless determination, remained hopeful that Red Bull could find a solution before qualifying. “We’ve had tough Fridays before, but we need to make a big step if we want to be competitive,” he said. The Dutchman’s concerns were echoed by team principal Christian Horner, who acknowledged that the team had work to do to unlock the car’s full potential.
With just one practice session remaining before qualifying, Red Bull faces mounting pressure to deliver improvements. If they fail to resolve their issues in time, Verstappen’s dominance could be under threat, opening the door for rivals to capitalize on Red Bull’s struggles. The next 24 hours will be crucial in determining whether the team can turn things around or if their struggles will continue into the race.
