"It's not man overboard": Max Verstappen not too fixated on the result in the Spanish GP

Max Verstappen is not worried about Red Bull’s issues at the 2024 Spanish GP. Speaking to onsite media in Barcelona, the Dutchman felt that there are tracks on the calendar that could suit them better.

With McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes taking the fight to Red Bull, Max Verstappen has his work cut out for the rest of the season. In the last four races, the Milton Keynes squad has struggled with their car’s performance at circuits with bumps and kerbs. They also suffered from an ERS issue in the free practice in Canada.

Unable to dominate like before, Max Verstappen does not have a significant lead over his rivals with 15 races left on the calendar. He denied signs of tension within the team with their rivals biting away at their lead. The 25-year-old felt that the competition for the championship only meant more work. Nevertheless, he reckoned that the Catalunya circuit suited their car better than the previous circuits.

Asked if there was tension to get the Spanish weekend right given that their rivals have caught up, Max Verstappen said:

“It's not tension. We always want to do well, and we also know that other people are pushing flat out. So we just need to have a good weekend, like we always want to have it. Let's say it doesn't go to plan, it's not man overboard, right? We just keep working and try to be better. There are still so many races where you can score a good amount of points, but of course, here we might want to do well.”

Asked if it is going back to normal for Red Bull with a more conventional circuit in Spain, Max Verstappen said:

“I don't think of course it will be like the beginning of the season. But we know that normally this is a track that our car should suit a bit more and we're excited of course. Of course, I'm aware that everyone has been catching up a lot. So everyone I think is quite confident. But if you compare it to the last few races that we have done, this should be better.”

---

Max Verstappen believes it's difficult to predict where Red Bull stacks up in the pecking order

Max Verstappen feels it is difficult to predict where Red Bull stacks up in the pecking order because their rivals Ferrari and McLaren are also bringing upgrades. Given the close competition, he felt it was not just about bringing the upgrades but also getting the setup right over the weekend. The triple champion claimed that with the new regulations, it has been difficult to find more performance in their car. He felt that a lot of teams have been able to replicate a lot from their car on their own cars.

Asked where Red Bull stacked up against their rivals in Spain, Verstappen said:

“It's difficult to say. I mean, you know, people are constantly improving and sometimes you just have a better weekend than others with the way you set up the car. Because at the end of the day, you can bring upgrades, but if you don't put the right setup on the car, I mean, look at 2, right? Same car, but there's still a big difference in teams, in operations and so also there you can make mistakes. And yeah, that's what we need to get right. Only, like I said, naturally, this car should suit the track a bit better, but still, we need to make sure that it's in the right balance.”

Asked if it was others that had caught up or they were finding it hard to develop their car further, the Dutch driver stated:

“I think it's more that these regulations don't really offer many different directions. You know with the older spec cars like 21 regulations, there was a lot that you could do. And here I think it's almost like you reach like a kind of a ceiling with the cars. So yeah, some people are quite good at analyzing everything that we do. Sometimes you see some similar things. But that's not how good to say I would be behind you look at the best team and then you try to learn.”

Max Verstappen currently leads Charles Leclerc in the drivers' championship by 56 points and Lando Norris by 63 points. Red Bull is leading the constructors' championship and is 49 points ahead of Ferrari and 89 points ahead of McLaren. Despite the lead, in the last four races, they have been closely challenged by both Ferrari and McLaren, with both teams clinching a win each. Sergio Perez has not been able to perform at the same level since the Imola weekend which cost the team a few points. If the momentum in the championship continues to be a battle between three teams, Red Bull is going to need their second driver to defend their rivals.