Max Verstappen suspects that Red Bull utilising a more loaded wing configuration contributed to him being edged to pole position in Formula 1’s Spanish Grand Prix.
Red Bull was tipped to go back to being the benchmark team upon the return to a more conventional circuit where its kerb-riding weakness would not be as prevalent.
But while Verstappen managed to be on provisional pole and improved his time on his final attempt, Norris proceeded to go 0.020 seconds faster to claim first place.
Verstappen admitted he was relieved to overcome his earlier troubles in practice, but contended that the choice to go with a more stabilising rear wing cost Red Bull.
“The lap itself was good,” Verstappen said. “I even got a tow [down to] Turn 1.
“I think, in general, when you look at it, the whole qualifying was just miles better than practice for me.
“I always felt like the car was not really connected in all the free practice sessions. When I went into qualifying, it just clicked much better.
“I think in the very high speed, we were particularly strong around the laps of Turns 3, 9 and the last corner, which were quite comfortably flat.
“I guess, in a way, probably that’s why we were not improving that much in the final few runs, because those corners are flat, so there’s nothing to gain.
“There are not that many corners left around the track. I did make my gains, but I probably was already flat, where maybe Lando wasn’t flat before.
“You just lose out a little bit with that, so maybe a bit too draggy for qualifying, looking back at it. That’s something that is always very easy to say afterwards.
“The whole of the weekend, we were just sliding around too much, and now probably it was finally hooked up.
“You probably would have trimmed down the wing a little bit, but that’s how it goes.”
The Dutchman has explained how several corners becoming flat on low-fuel conditions accentuated the lap time that he was spurning around the lap versus his rivals.
“Yeah, honestly, like it’s easy to say now, of course we ran the big wing, but up until qualifying it was just, the car was not stable enough,” he explained.
“So I think we did fix it, and also probably with the conditions becoming colder and colder, you just run out of basically corners to make a difference.
“Because some corners become flat out because of that, and then yeah, you become a bit draggy.”
But despite set-up changes helping his RB20 to feel “more normal”, Verstappen claims that Red Bull’s latest defeat shows that it must respond with greater updates.
“I think it’s been okay, but not good enough, clearly,” he admitted. “These kind of tracks, I was hoping to be ahead, but the other teams are catching up.
“We’ve seen this already in the last few races, so it’s definitely a lot harder. We need to do everything perfect to be first, and we just need to bring more performance to the car.”
Verstappen has denied that McLaren’s growing threat will provide a “wake-up call” as he contends that Red Bull was alert to its competitor’s gains prior to this round.
“In terms of wake-up call, I think we are pretty much very awake already with what’s happening, so yeah, we need to push on, we need to bring parts faster, better,” he said.
“I mean, we’ve had a very dominant car last year, that is very, I mean, it’s completely gone, naturally, and yeah, we just need to really try and make a step ahead again.”
The reigning F1 champion has conceded that he is in the dark about Red Bull’s long-run pace against its rivals but reckons that managing tyres will be a vital factor.
“I would like to win tomorrow, naturally,” he expressed. “I think it’s still a bit unknown where we are, like all of us, in terms of pure pace in the long runs.
“I’m hoping, of course, it’s going to be all very close, like it has been in the last few races.
“And I think, yeah, with the high deg around here as well, you need to really look after your tyres.
“I don’t know, of course, in what state the track will be as well tomorrow with potential rain, of course, overnight and in the morning.
“So all these kind of things, of course, come into play.”
