Max Verstappen’s P6 is not something we hear about every day. Jos Verstappen is obviously not happy with this result as he believes his son did his best with the RB20. Our expectations have been dashed and F1 has undergone a dramatic change. We could have all said for certain that Max Verstappen would dominate the season, but it no longer looks like that. Monaco is a difficult track to overtake, but qualifying 6th is not what the Red Bull driver would have expected. Before the last Grand Prix, he equalled Ayrton Senna’s record with eight consecutive pole starts. However, the car doesn’t seem to be in top form and Sergio Pérez is showing signs of weakness. Given everything that’s going on at Red Bull, Max Verstappen isn’t happy with the situation and with Toto Wolff continuing to pursue him, the 26-year-old could consider this option.
Helmut Marko breaks down the difficulties that Max Verstappen is facing
Max Verstappen drives for Red Bull because they give him the best car on the grid. This year, his championship title is challenged by Charles Leclerc, and Monaco will put him even closer to Charles Leclerc in the points standings.
Helmut Marko ignored Verstappen’s experience with Red Bull and explained that the problem is that Verstappen no longer trusts the technology. In particular, the suspension is too soft. This causes the car to bounce too much, and he has to drive around high curbs, which pushes him back.
He also feels like the engineers don’t take him seriously. The first proposed solution is to raise the ride height and improve the suspension, but Marko explained why that’s not possible. According to an F1 source, Marko explained: “So we are limited in our activities in this area. But we still believe that we are better on traditional tracks like Barcelona.” If not, then you have a real problem. “For example, in Monaco, I could drive hard over the kerbs in the simulator and still have no problems. “That didn’t happen anymore on the real circuit,” he explained. It’s almost impossible to design the perfect car for every track, because every track requires something different from the car.
On a circuit like Monaco, the narrow roads make it difficult to overtake and avoid mistakes that lead to DNFs.
Now that the RB20 is not the fastest car in the field and Ferrari and McLaren are catching up, Toto Wolff could convince the Dutch driver to join the team.
Toto Wolff continues to pursue Max Verstappen
Toto Wolff knows he needs a world champion to replace the one he lost when Lewis Hamilton signed for Ferrari.
Mercedes has a vacant seat next year, and who better to fill it than the defending champion who has won the past three consecutive titles? Wolff has his sights set on Max Verstappen, whose contract with Red Bull runs until 2028, but the Dutch champion has a clause that could see him move on.
So far, Verstappen has said he wants to drive with the team that gives him the best car. As long as it’s Red Bull, he’ll stay with the team. But things have changed and now other teams are catching up. Mercedes is also gaining momentum and will be an attractive team for Verstappen after 2025.
In Monaco, Max Verstappen couldn’t find a gap to overtake George Russell, despite making a free pit stop during the race. As Marko says, Monaco was an “unconventional” track, but in Canada the story will be different.
Red Bull is confident that the car will perform well at the Canadian Grand Prix, but if the RB20 fails, it might be what Verstappen needs to switch next year. Do you think Verstappen will stay loyal to Red Bull or will he accept Toto Wolff’s offer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
