Jos Verstappen, the father of reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen, has publicly criticised Red Bull and called for the team to refocus on racing. This comes amid growing concerns that Red Bull’s era of dominance in F1 may be waning, as evidenced by recent performances.

Red Bull’s dominance of Formula One has been unquestioned in recent years. With back-to-back Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships in 2022 and 2023, the team seemed invincible. However, recent events suggest that their grip on the sport may be loosening. Last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, a race traditionally known for its unpredictability and the importance of qualifying, revealed potential cracks in Red Bull’s once impregnable armour.

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Struggles in Monaco

Throughout the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, Max Verstappen struggled for pace and had to contend with a particularly inconsistent RB20. His qualifying performance left him in a disappointing sixth place, a position he maintained throughout the race, marking his worst result since the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix. The situation was even worse for his team-mate Sergio Perez, who qualified 18th and crashed on the opening lap after a collision with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen.

These setbacks have had a significant impact on Verstappen’s lead in the championship, which has now been reduced to a precarious 31 points.

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Jos Verstappen’s criticism of Red Bull

In an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Jos Verstappen did not hold back in his criticism of Red Bull’s recent performance.

“The time when Red Bull had the dominant car really seems to be over now,” he remarked. “Maybe they should concentrate a little bit more on racing and communicating with each other instead of other things.”

Red Bull’s problems in Monaco appeared to be primarily related to the RB20’s suspension, which struggled to cope with the kerbs of the street circuit. This lack of compliance severely hampered the car’s performance. Max Verstappen warned that while the problem was particularly pronounced at Monaco, it could potentially recur at other circuits throughout the season.

Max Verstappen alluded to the same suspension issues during the practice period of the Monaco weekend.

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Max Verstappen says Red Bull car ‘found out’

Verstappen made it clear that Red Bull is not dealing with a new problem when describing the issues of suspension. Instead, it’s an problem that dates back to the introduction of the ground effect cars, which was initially masked by the team’s significant car advantage.

“It’s like I’m driving without suspension,” explained Verstappen.

“The car is bouncing around a lot, not absorbing kerbs, bumps or camber changes. In the last corner, the number of times I almost hit the wall is unbelievable. We’ve been having this problem since 2022. For the last two years, our car advantage has masked it. But now that everyone is catching up, our weaknesses are being exposed…”

He added that the car’s behaviour in Monaco was reminiscent of its performance in the previous two years, although the team’s overall advantage had previously allowed them to secure victories – first with teammate Sergio Perez and then with Verstappen in 2023.

Verstappen described the situation as a “fundamental problem” that “can’t be fixed in weeks”. Asked if it could be resolved this season, he was uncertain.

“First of all, we need to understand what it is, and we don’t know,” Verstappen admitted.

“We’ll work hard to identify the problem and try to fix it, but I don’t know if we can do it this year or if we have to wait for next year. If we knew, we would have fixed it by now. Obviously, we don’t.”

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Different problems at different races

Monaco marks the third consecutive difficult weekend for Red Bull, but Verstappen noted that each weekend has been marred by different problems.

“Probably in Miami we didn’t get the balance right and maybe the tyres,” he explained. “At Imola we managed to turn things around, but we weren’t on top of the tyres, especially the hard ones. Overall, our performance was OK, but I knew Monaco would be one of our toughest weekends with everyone catching up.”

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Urgent need for solutions

Jos Verstappen emphasised the urgency with which Red Bull must address these issues to avoid further defeats to the likes of Ferrari and McLaren. “There will definitely be races where Red Bull will be in good shape again, but I am very curious to see how they are going to solve this. Something really has to happen,” he said.

“Red Bull need to find out where this problem is coming from, because it is clear that teams like Ferrari and McLaren are getting closer. Max has been able to hide it a little bit, but the big difference with Sergio Perez is becoming more and more obvious.”

The next few races will be crucial for Red Bull as they look to regain their footing in the championship. The team’s ability to identify and rectify the issues with the RB20 will determine whether they can maintain their position at the top, or whether they will come under increasing pressure from upstart rivals. For now, the message from Jos Verstappen is clear: Red Bull must refocus on the core aspects of racing to stay ahead in the ever-competitive world of Formula One.

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In a dramatic turn of events at the Monaco Grand Prix, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon will face repercussions following a costly first lap collision with Formula One teammate Pierre Gasly. The incident, which took place at the iconic Portier corner, has not only drawn the ire of team principal Bruno Famin, but has also resulted in a significant penalty for Ocon. This could well be the opening for former F1 driver Mick Schumacher to return to the paddock, this time driving for the Alpine team.

The collision, which sent Ocon’s car into the air and ended his race prematurely, was deemed by the stewards to be the result of an overly ambitious overtaking attempt. As a result, Ocon was handed a 10-second penalty, which translates into a five-place grid drop for the upcoming race in Canada. The stewards’ statement was…READ MORE ON THIS STORY