Max Verstappen has revealed the balance issues Red Bull endured with its 2024 Formula 1 car led the team to “throw in the bin” updates it had planned in the pipeline.
Red Bull dominated the initial exchanges once again this season as Verstappen claimed seven victories in the opening 10 races to open up a considerable points gap.
However, Red Bull’s campaign began to derail as developments induced unintended balance complications which saw the squad go eight rounds without a single win.
The Austrian outfit’s woes witnessed it squander the Constructors’ Championship lead to McLaren, while also placing Verstappen’s title prospects under added threat.
But Verstappen’s hopes sustained an upturn last weekend in the United States as Red Bull’s upgrades propelled him to the win in the Sprint and third in the Grand Prix.
The Dutchman echoed Red Bull boss Christian Horner’s assessment that its latest changes have dispelled the disconnected balance that plagued its competitiveness.
‘’It has been a long time since I have felt so good in the car. I honestly don’t even remember when that was,” Verstappen told De Telegraaf.
“There are always things that can be improved, but certainly in the fast corners we are going very well.
“And the balance problems, which were preventing us from attacking the corners, are a lot less there now too. So far this weekend shows that we have made a very good step.”
Verstappen details Red Bull turning point
Red Bull reached a low point at the Italian Grand Prix last month as Verstappen rued Red Bull having made the RB20 into a “monster” as he trailed home in sixth place.
The reigning F1 champion has pinpointed how Monza materialised to be a turning point as Red Bull abandoned the original development direction that it had planned.
“In Monza we understood a few things, which at least gave us a direction to work towards. That is paying off now.
“Everything in terms of updates planned before Monza, we could throw in the bin.
“I have been pointing out a lot of things for weeks or months, in terms of my feeling in the car and then it is up to the team to solve it. Now it already felt a lot better all round.”
READ MORE: Red Bull pinpoints RB20 issue that F1 US GP upgrades solved
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