Verstappen: Red Bull championship bids ‘not realistic’ amid decline

Max Verstappen has issued a stark warning to Red Bull, telling his team that both the drivers' and constructors' championships are no longer “realistic” objectives following the bulls’ continued underperformance at the Italian Grand Prix.

After a subdued display on Saturday at Monza that saw Verstappen qualify seventh, the Dutchman’s best effort on Sunday was only good for sixth, the championship leader crossing the checkered flag over 37 seconds behind Ferrari race winner Charles Leclerc.

Red Bull team has struggled to maintain its early-season momentum, with car balance issues that have plagued them over the summer and are that are now proving costly against their resurgent McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes rivals.

After Sunday’s race, Verstappen did not mince words about the team's predicament.

"At the moment, both championships are not realistic," said a candid Verstappen.

"I've said a lot and now it's up to the team to come with a lot of changes with the car, because we basically went from a very dominant car to an undrivable car in the space of six to eight months.

“So, that is very weird for me and we need to really turn the car upside down.

• Read also: Horner sounds the alarm as Verstappen calls RB20 'not drivable'

Red Bull's woes have been compounded by a rapidly closing gap in the Constructors' Championship.

McLaren, with a strong showing at Monza, has now narrowed Red Bull's lead to just eight points. Verstappen, who holds a 62-point lead over Norris in the Drivers' Championship, also expressed concern that this margin might not be sufficient if Red Bull's form does not improve soon.

When asked if Norris missing out on a win was any consolation, Verstappen was quick to dismiss the idea of taking comfort from his rival's misfortune.

"In a way, yes, but that's not how I like to look at the championship. We have to go from our own fortunes and today and this whole weekend has been very bad," he said.

Reflecting on his race, Verstappen highlighted several areas where the team fell short.

"We were too slow,” he said. “The [six second] pitstop, of course, cost me a bit. I couldn't run full power for most of the race as well with the engine, because we had a little issue.

"Also strategy wise, we could have done a better job to be at least a little bit more in the fight. We were weak on a lot of fronts this weekend."

In response to the ongoing issues, Red Bull held urgent meetings over the weekend to discuss necessary changes to their RB20 car. Verstappen, however, feels that the time for talking is over.

"It was quite clear for everyone what we have to do. It's just now we have to turn it around," he explained.

"It's not easy to do that very quickly. And then if we can put that on the car, it becomes more drivable again.

"Last year we had a great car, which was the most dominant car ever, and we basically turned it into a monster, so we have to turn it around.

"It doesn't matter how many weeks [it takes], we have to just keep pushing and work flat out. There's no excuse."

As the Formula 1 season progresses, the pressure is mounting on Red Bull to find solutions quickly if they are to salvage their championship hopes.

For now, both Verstappen and the team are left contemplating a season that has taken an unexpected turn, with the once dominant force in the sport now struggling to keep up with its rivals.

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