Verstappen not expecting ‘massive turnaround’ for Red Bull

©RedBull

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Max Verstappen delivered a sobering assessment of Red Bull’s performance following Friday’s practice sessions at the Dutch Grand Prix.

The local hero, racing in front of his ’orange army’ at Zandvoort, admitted that his RB21 car continues to grapple with persistent issues, exposing its vulnerabilities on a track that only enhances the car’s weaknesses.

The four-time world champion ended the day only fifth quickest, his best lap of 1m10.478s leaving him behind McLaren’s drivers, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Mercedes’ George Russell.

It was a result that underscored the RB21’s ongoing problems, which Verstappen admitted remain unresolved despite the four-week summer break.

“Nothing special really. Still struggling with the same things,” he said, reflecting on his day.

“Again, we tried a lot of things with the car, but it just doesn't really seem to change anything in terms of my underlying problem.

“We'll look overnight if we can find a bit more, but I'm not gonna expect a massive turnaround. It's just tricky.”

Zandvoort Exposes Red Bull’s Weak Spot

Zandvoort’s sweeping tight layout has only added to Verstappen’s headaches, with the medium and long-radius corners playing directly into Red Bull’s deficiencies – the same ones that left him a distant ninth in Hungary before the break.

©RedBull

“Plus, the layout of the track also probably doesn't suit our problems that we have with the car,” Verstappen explained.

“In the middle sector, there are a lot of long corners, so it's not great.”

While rivals McLaren and Mercedes were expected to be strong in the second half of the season, Alonso’s pace in the Aston Martin has added another complication for Red Bull.

For Verstappen, even a top-five finish is not guaranteed heading into qualifying.

“It looks like it will be really hard enough to be in the top 5, but we'll see tomorrow,” he admitted.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.