There is no shortage of drama in the world of Formula 1, and the recent challenges faced by Red Bull Racing have become a focal point of discussion. Despite their status as reigning champions, the team have encountered significant technical difficulties that have affected their performance, particularly since the Monaco Grand Prix in 2024.
Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s sporting director, has shed light on these issues, providing valuable insight into what could be going wrong with the team’s latest car. Certainly it is clear that during the Monaco Grand Prix, the Red Bull car struggled significantly to ride the kerbs and it is expected that Canada will be the same for the next race.
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Verstappen made it clear that Red Bull are not dealing with a new problem when describing the suspension issues. Rather, it’s an issue 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 had 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 “cannot be fixed in a few weeks”. Asked if it could be resolved this season, he was unsure.
“First of all, we have 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 was going to be one of our toughest weekends with everyone catching up.”
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Marko reveals another issue
One problem, according to Marko, is that the competition has simply done a good job in recent weeks and months.
“The regulations are in their third year and people are copying. Some copy better and some make the copy even better and that is what has happened with McLaren,” he said, praising the British team, for whom Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have recently produced some impressive results.
Ferrari have also been “constantly developing”, the Austrian said of his other main rival.
At the same time, Marko also mentioned a problem within Red Bull: the simulator…
“Both drivers came to Monte Carlo excited and said the car handled the kerbs really well, but as soon as they were in the car they said ‘undriveable’,” said Marko, describing how the RB20 was much better in theory than it was on the track.
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Marko: Technical problems in the simulator
Writing in his ‘Speedweek’ column, Helmut Marko pinpointed a critical problem rooted in the team’s simulator. According to Marko:
“The problem starts in the simulator, which has indicated that the car runs perfectly over the kerbs. Simply put, the simulator and reality do not correlate”.
This discrepancy between simulated performance and real-world behaviour has plagued the team at various circuits, with the problem coming to a head at the Singapore Grand Prix.
The significance of the simulator issue was dramatically highlighted in Singapore, where Red Bull suffered a rare defeat in the 2023 season. Marko explained that the simulator was “spitting out something that was not real”, leading to unforeseen challenges on track. This issue was identified as the main factor undermining their race strategy and performance.
Canadian Grand Prix will be difficult for Red Bull
Recognising the critical nature of this issue, Red Bull will undertake a comprehensive review of its simulator technology. Marko was optimistic about diagnosing the root cause of the simulator’s inaccurate data output.
“The poor correlation is the first thing we will look at,” he said, stressing the importance of aligning simulator output with real-world conditions.
However, despite this optimism, Marko was unable to provide a concrete timeline for when these issues might be fully resolved. He warned fans and stakeholders alike that a quick turnaround was unlikely.
“Montreal could also be a difficult weekend for us,” he admitted, reflecting on the ongoing challenges facing the team.
Challenges ahead in Montreal
The upcoming race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal presents its own set of challenges, compounded by the unresolved simulator issues. Much like Monaco, the Montreal circuit is notorious for its challenging kerbs that require precise handling.
Red Bull’s struggles with kerbs were on full display in Monaco, where Max Verstappen likened the car’s handling to that of a “kangaroo”.
The Montreal circuit has undergone significant changes for the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix, adding to the complexity of the upcoming race.
The organisers have replaced all the kerbs with identical ones and the track has been completely resurfaced. The FIA has also modified the run-off area at Turn 8, incorporating both asphalt and grass, and realigned the barriers. In addition, pure asphalt strips have replaced the previous grass-covered pavers behind the kerbs of turns 1, 3 and 6.
Outlook for Red Bull
As Red Bull grapples with these technical challenges, the focus remains on rectifying the simulator discrepancies in order to regain their competitive edge.
The team’s ability to adapt and innovate has been a hallmark of their success in the past, and this period of adversity is likely to be another test of their resilience and technical prowess.
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Urgent need for solutions
Jos Verstappen, father of Max, stressed the urgency with which Red Bull must address these issues if they are 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 needs 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 bit, but the big difference with Sergio Perez is becoming more and more obvious.”
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