As the Formula 1 season resumes this week at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, Red Bull Racing faces an uncharacteristically uncertain outlook, with Helmut Marko admitting that the team is struggling to find the sweet spot with its RB20 car.
The reigning world champions have seen their dominance eroded in recent races, with Mercedes and McLaren emerging as strong competitors, the two teams splitting wins in the last two races in Hungary and in Belgium.
Reflecting on the challenges Red Bull has encountered, Marko pointed to the enforced hiatus of the summer break as a contributing factor to their current situation.
“During the summer break, there is nothing going on for two weeks, which means that no work on the car is possible,” Red Bull’s motorsport advisor told Speedweek.
“We have to solve our problems and find out where the fault is, because we don't have the balance in the car anymore if you compare the current situation with the first three races.”
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Marko acknowledged that finding a solution to the car's problems is crucial, but he doesn't expect a quick fix for the Dutch Grand Prix.
“It’s difficult to estimate how quickly this will happen. I don't think the big solution will come in Zandvoort.
“We do intensive brainstorming and also have various ideas. But I can't say yet what we will implement and how.”
Marko highlighted the critical importance of qualifying at Zandvoort next weekend, as overtaking opportunities are typically few and far between around the high-speed circuit.
Verstappen, who has excelled at the track in recent years, will need to deliver a strong performance on Saturday afternoon to maximize his chances of victory on Sunday.
“One thing is clear: qualifying at Zandvoort will be decisive, because overtaking is hardly possible there,” Marko added.
“And Max could well succeed in a good qualifying, because he has been good there recently.
“We were the fastest in Austria and also in Spa. In Hungary, only a few hundredths were missing – so we are already complaining at a high level.”
However, the competition has intensified, with Mercedes winning three of the past four Grands Prix, thanks to the efforts of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
This resurgence from their rivals has put additional pressure on Red Bull to regain their early-season form.
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With the upcoming races demanding vastly different aerodynamic setups, the next four Grand Prix weekends will provide a crucial test for Red Bull.
As engineering chief Paul Monaghan points out, the data gleaned from these diverse circuits will be invaluable for understanding car performance.
"We know how to set our car up, and we always arrive with a level of confidence, there are some doubts about: 'if we get this, what should we do?'" Monaghan explained in Spa, before F1’s summer break.
"But we will see in the coming races when the downforce levels change at Zandvoort, Monza, Singapore and Azerbaijan if our car can maintain this pace in the various configurations we can run - and then we will know."
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