The winner of the Imola Grand Prix was once again Max Verstappen. But this time the Formula 1 World Champion had to work much harder than usual for the 25 points. Helmut Marko attributes this to problems Red Bull are not used to.
Red Bull is once again the dominant team in Formula One this season. But the series championship lead has shrunk considerably. This was evident at the weekend in Imola, when Max Verstappen had to defend his narrowly won pole position in Sunday’s race. Something to think about, according to Helmut Marko.
“We’ve often been able to turn things around in a weekend, but it hasn’t been as bad as this for a long time,” he warned in an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.
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Red Bull didn’t find the right balance at Imola, either on a lap or in race trim, Marko says: “Usually it’s one or the other. The double problems in qualifying and the race caught the team off guard this time.
“It’s just very impressive. Max doesn’t make the slightest mistake, even though he’s under so much pressure from behind. We’re winning here thanks to him and because he got pole position on Saturday. Forget about winning,” Marko analysed, “if we had started from third place…”
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As Dr Helmut Marko alludes, Max Verstappen’s triumph at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, while impressive on the surface, belies a more difficult reality for Red Bull Racing. The Dutchman secured pole position and his fifth win of the season, but the narrow margin of victory suggests that other teams are closing in on the once dominant Red Bull.
The difficulties began early in the weekend, with Verstappen struggling uncharacteristically in practice. He struggled with pace and balance in all three sessions, visibly frustrated with the performance of his car. Friday was particularly tough for the usually consistent 26-year-old, as he went off track four times in the two sessions.
This rare display of inconsistency raised eyebrows and sparked debate as to whether Red Bull’s dominance was being challenged.
Hill: “The other teams are catching up…”
1996 F1 champion Damon Hill weighed in on the situation, suggesting that the increased competition from other teams could be unsettling Verstappen.
Hill said: “The other teams are catching up. That is definitely the case. The comfortable lead that Max has had over the last couple of years… it is inevitable that people will close the gap. If you are uncomfortable with the pace, it is relative”.
Hill continued, “If you’re two or three tenths ahead of everyone, you don’t need to push the car. Is that what we are seeing now? Is Max having to get more out of the car than he can because other people are closing in? Actually, you are starting to see the ultimate performance of the Red Bull and they are scratching their heads trying to find more. The competition is definitely coming…”
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Qualifying turnaround
Despite the early setbacks, Red Bull made significant improvements by the start of qualifying. Verstappen’s skill shone through as he secured pole position, setting the stage for a hard-fought race. However, victory was far from easy. Lando Norris, in an upgraded McLaren, proved a formidable opponent, finishing less than a second behind Verstappen.
Norris’ performance underlined the potential of McLaren’s improvements and suggested he could be a constant threat to Verstappen in the future. The narrow margin of victory highlighted that Red Bull could no longer rely on their previously comfortable buffer.
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A gruelling race
Verstappen acknowledged the challenges he faced during the Grand Prix, particularly in terms of tyre management. While the medium tyres worked well early on, the hard tyres proved to be a major problem.
Verstappen explained: “In the race, like on the mediums, I think it was very good. I wasn’t expecting this kind of pace after what we’ve done so far this weekend. But somehow we were able to keep the balance together. So it felt really good…”
He continued, “But as soon as I switched to the hard tyres, it was definitely… I mean, maybe not for the first five to ten laps, but after that I was like, I don’t know if I can make it to the end, you know, because the tyres were just falling out of the window. It was like driving on ice, really snappy and you can just feel when the tyres are not gripping anymore.”
The final laps were particularly tense as Norris closed the gap. Verstappen described those moments: “The last 10 laps, you know, I was really trying to survive with the tyres and then suddenly Lando really picked up the pace. So, yeah, of course I could see him catching up. I wasn’t sure if I could keep him behind, but I just tried to do my best and push as hard as I could with the grip I had. And, yeah, luckily it was just enough laps.”
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