"The car is on a knife's edge, mate": Max Verstappen rages on the radio as Red Bull's struggle continues at the Monaco GP FP 1

As Formula 1 enters the race weekend at the Principality of Monaco, defending world champion Max Verstappen showed displeasure with his RB20 race car during the first Free Practice (FP1) session. The Dutchman vented his frustration about the car's handling over the team radio.

After finishing the 2023 season on an all-time high, Red Bull Racing and Verstappen seemed undefeatable in the first five races of the 2024 season. With the exception of the Australian Grand Prix DNF resulting from a mechanical problem, the three-time world champion placed first on the podium in the remaining four races.

But in Miami, Verstappen's dominance was challenged by Lando Norris and McLaren, as the young British driver won his first race of the season on merit. Norris showcased his relentless pace at the recently concluded race at the iconic Emilia-Romagna circuit as well, finishing just over 0.7 seconds behind the race winner, Verstappen.

Now, as the weekend commences in Monaco, Verstappen seems to be having some difficulty with the handling characteristics of this RB20 race car. As mentioned earlier, he vented his frustration over the team radio during the FP1 session.

"The car is on a knife's edge, mate," he said.

Verstappen also spoke about his struggles with the RB20 race car during the driver's press conference on Thursday.

“A lot of things can go right, but also a lot of things can go wrong. We just need to be on it. Of course, Imola started off really bad and we managed to turn it around. I wouldn’t want to have a weekend like that again, it’s quite stressful and not nice,” he stated.

Lando Norris plans to capitalize on 'high-energy' at McLaren

As the race weekend begins in Monaco, Lando Norris is planning to capitalize on the high energy at McLaren after the successful stints at the Miami and Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

With the introduction of an impressive upgrade package by the Papaya outfit, their performance has risen exponentially, allowing both Norris and Oscar Piastri to compete for race wins on merit. The British driver is now aiming to keep the pressure on Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen.

When asked about how he would feel on winning at the iconic race track, Norris acknoweldged that it would be an incredible achievement.

“I mean, it would be incredible. Monaco is always one that every driver wants to win at some point, just because of the history of this place, how unique and how prestigious it all is," he said at the press-conference.

The 25-year-old racer from Bristol, England has managed to win points in every race this season. He currently stands in fourth position in the driver's championship, with 101 points to his credit.