Max Verstappen has admitted Red Bull’s balance issues in 2024 had a lingering impact on the development of the team’s RB21 Formula 1 car.
After a dominant 2023 campaign, where the Austrian squad won both championships and claimed 21 victories from 22 races, Red Bull’s hold on success has weakened.
While the Milton Keynes-based team started 2024 strongly, McLaren fought back to challenge its supremacy, forcing Red Bull to dig deep to defend Verstappen’s crown.
A late-season resurgence, including Verstappen’s standout win in Brazil, ultimately secured his fourth world title at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
However, Red Bull lost the Constructors’ Championship to McLaren and is now on course to miss out on both titles this season.
After 11 rounds, Verstappen trails championship leader Oscar Piastri by 61 points, while Red Bull is 207 points adrift of McLaren.
The Dutchman revealed that balance problems from last season have continued to affect the team’s car development.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix, Verstappen reflected on the ongoing struggles after being reminded Red Bull has taken just four wins in the last 12 months.
“Well, that’s F1 for you,” he told media including Motorsport Week. “If everyone knew what they had to do, then everyone [would be] winning races, or at least everyone had a chance of winning.
“And in F1, unfortunately, that’s not the case. Of course, we’re not where we want to be, but we’re still fighting for podiums.
“I think we are trying to find more performance in the car, but also, of course, last year we were a bit hurt with our balance issues that we had with the car.
“So we also had to first understand what was going on there, and for sure, that has also hurt probably a little bit, too, the future development of the car during this year.”
Verstappen admits Red Bull unlikely to challenge McLaren on pure pace
Both Red Bull drivers voiced frustration over the RB21’s balance last time out in Austria.
Verstappen explained that while Red Bull has made some progress on its balance issues this season, the car remains vulnerable in certain corners — especially medium-speed turns where McLaren currently excels.
Despite the ongoing challenge, he insists Red Bull is still pushing hard for improvements, though the 27-year-old admits matching McLaren’s performance may prove out of reach.
“But we’re still trying everything we can to be as competitive as we can be,” he continued.
“Now, is that going to be McLaren level? Maybe not. Probably not. That’s how F1 goes for you.
“Sometimes you have dominant years, good years where you can win a lot. Sometimes, maybe not. Or not at all.”
When asked if Red Bull might have a stronger chance at upcoming tracks like Silverstone and Spa before the summer break, Verstappen remained realistic about their prospects.
He added: “I think so, I mean, some tracks will probably be a bit nicer, but I think with the gap that we have, it’s not going to be enough to win a race on pure pace.”
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