Verstappen Acknowledges ‘Something Is Wrong’ Following Another Defeat to McLaren

The Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday highlighted that a race winner other than Max Verstappen doesn’t necessarily lead to an exciting event at the front. There were only two significant passes for the lead: the first on the opening lap when Verstappen zipped past Lando Norris of McLaren, and another on lap 18 when Norris reclaimed the lead. Fortunately, the presence of backmarkers and midfield drivers provided some interest, but Norris’ commanding 22-second lead over the reigning champion suggests underlying issues at Red Bull. Following the race, Verstappen quickly raised concerns, acknowledging that “something has been going wrong lately with the car.”

In an interview with Motorsport.com, the three-time F1 champion elaborated on how the development of the RB20 throughout the season has negatively impacted its balance. Consequently, not only is the car’s speed lagging behind its competitors, but it is also facing significant tire degradation—a factor that had previously been a Red Bull advantage.

“It’s very hard to pinpoint where that is coming from at the moment. And that is then hurting, of course, our one-lap performance, but also our long-run,” Verstappen conveyed to Motorsport.com. “It just seems like we are too slow, but also quite bad on degradation at the moment. That’s a bit weird because I think the last few years normally we’ve been quite good on that.”

“So, something has been going wrong lately with the car that we need to understand and we need to quickly try to improve. It’s just not a connected balance, front or rear,” he elaborated.

Verstappen has not tasted victory in a Grand Prix since Barcelona in June, marking five races without a win. During this period, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton claimed two victories, while George Russell, Oscar Piastri, and Norris each secured one win. Despite this, Verstappen maintains a significant lead in the drivers’ championship with a 70-point edge over Norris (295 to 225), and Red Bull still tops the constructors’ standings, albeit by a narrower margin: 434 points to McLaren’s 404. However, Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez has struggled to defend the team’s position in the constructors’ championship, although he achieved his best placement in Zandvoort, finishing 6th.

This season marked Verstappen’s first loss on home soil since the sport’s return to the Netherlands in 2021. A similar situation occurred during the Austrian Grand Prix in June, where Mercedes and Russell outshone Red Bull at their home race. With two disappointing defeats in just two months, Red Bull could feel the mounting pressure to make improvements.