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Verstappen's 2024 saved by having all the "'smart heads' in the same room"
The 2024 Formula 1 season has been dynamic at the top, with the label of the fastest team changing from one team to another depending often on factors such as track layout, condition, and tyre compounds, for instance. It was in this setting where Max Verstappen aboard a difficult to tame RB20 managed to clinch his consecutive fourth world title, following a performance drop that handicapped Red Bull for a significant part of the season.
How tough a time did Red Bull have in 2024?
Verstappen looked set to cruise to another double title in 2024 with four wins and five poles in the first five races. Nevertheless since the Miami Grand Prix things took a U-turn for the Dutchman. Red Bull's upgrade upset the balance of the RB20 and McLaren seemed to find a lot of pace in the MCL38 with their updated package. As the season went on, one thing became clear, Red Bull had no way to solve the issues that capped the car's performance because they didn't understand where said issues lied.
"We had a tough time. The problem was that we didn't really fully understand what was the reason behind it because all the numbers that we saw were actually promising. So it's just trying to find it. Trying to understand what is going wrong. Trying to improve that balance in the car. That's what we have done," Verstappen began.
"And it took, of course, a few races to get on top of. And then, of course, you have to make changes. In a season with a budget cap, it's very tough, sometimes also to calculate what you can do and what you cannot do. Some things you cannot change in the season. This is for next year, but I'm proud of how we have found solutions and how we have become again more competitive," Verstappen continued. Since Brazil Red Bull seemed to have made some progress with strong showings in the Sprint race and the Dutchman's win on Sunday's race.
"Everyone was struggling to understand" RB20's issues
In 2023 Verstappen enjoyed the most successful streak any driver in F1 history has had with 19 Grand Prix wins to his name that season alone. "I think, in '23, everything almost went by itself. I did my work, I went to drive on the simulator. But when the car is in a very nice window, sometimes actually when you try to over stress things, it also doesn't work, when you try to look into too many details and that's anyway how I never operated. Trying to look into too many details can also work against you. This year it was a lot more difficult," said Verstappen admitting that the 2024 campaign was much more difficult to manage.
"Everyone was struggling to understand," the now four time world champion revealed. "For me as well, I didn't understand why we were where we were. Just asking questions, working together looking at data looking at analysis that came up after every single race. I'm not the engineer. I'm not going to tell them how to design a floor or suspension but I can ask questions. Then we discuss and we go through what we can see from the data of the track, wind tunnel CFD, all these things, simulator."
"Important to have everyone in the same room together"
"With all the smart heads in the team, you sit together and you just have an open discussion about things. I explain my difficulties with the car. We do it here as well. Like we're talking and we're talking back to the factory, but it's not eye to eye with everyone. And that's why I think sometimes it's very important to have everyone together in the same room."
The driver of car #1 had to be on the defence for the most part of the season, particularly since Imola. However, his prowess behind the wheel always kept his McLaren rival, Lando Norris, at arms length. Then, in Brazil, Verstappen struck a deadly blow to the Briton's championship hopes, and ultimately wrapped up the title in Las Vegas with another damage mitigating drive.
This article was made with the assistance of Jeroen Immink
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