Relaxed Verstappen, Concerned Marko
Verstappen is attempting to minimize the tension, but Red Bull is clearly agitated.
Despite winning his home race, questions were directed at the world champion. "I guess this happens sometimes. Not everyone has won a race. We aren't driving the quickest car," was Verstappen's response after finishing second in Zandvoort. The Dutchman has now failed to win for five consecutive races, a streak last seen in 2020. "There's no need to panic," he added, despite having a 70-point lead over Lando Norris.
However, Red Bull's motor racing advisor, Helmut Marko, viewed the situation differently. "It's concerning. The team needs to put in more effort, or both titles are at risk," Marko stated, as per "Autosport". In the constructors' championship, Red Bull has just a 30-point lead over McLaren. "Our engineers need to come up with something. Finishing second nine times isn't enough," Marko warned.
Even Verstappen's father, Jos, shared similar concerns. "Max never had a chance to win. But that's not surprising when the car is regressing," Jos Verstappen told "Bild". The reason behind this was that Red Bull had to use older parts due to planned upgrades failing. "That speaks volumes. The team has taken a wrong turn several times. Internally, they need to reflect on themselves and not just sweep things under the rug. It's time - if it's not already too late - to question oneself. Good people are leaving the team. I'm highly disappointed with the situation."
Is Norris set to be the Laughing World Champion?
The man of the hour put his dominant victory into perspective. "I'm still 70 points behind Max," Norris clarified: "I'm just focusing on one race at a time, it would be foolish to think about anything else." With the strong performance in Zandvoort, the title no longer seems impossible. Norris bested Verstappen by more than 20 seconds, even earning cheers from the Dutch crowd in the orange McLaren. There are still nine races left, with the next one this coming weekend in Monza. Norris' prediction? "It's challenging to predict, Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, or us - anyone can fight for the win."
The development in Norris' team and his teammate Oscar Piastri is noteworthy. The McLaren is now undoubtedly the fastest car on the grid, but there's still room for improvement. Both Norris and Piastri lost positions at the start, which they later regained during the race. "It's about the driver's skill, but also the technical aspects that the team is accountable for," said team principal Andrea Stella on Sky: "We need to examine and enhance that. If you make good starts, you face fewer challenges in the race." And the competition will pose an even greater problem.
Mercedes "Messed Up Badly"
Toto Wolff was blunt. "We messed up, the car was never in a good state," Mercedes' motorsport boss said into the Sky microphone. After impressive performances before the summer break, "we took the wrong turn with the car". It's not the fault of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, who failed to make the podium this time, finishing eighth and seventh respectively. "You have to protect the drivers," Wolff said.
Hülkenberg Offers Hope for Monza
The internal duel between Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg, which Hülkenberg won, did not result in a World Championship point for the Emmericher, who finished eleventh. "We felt like we left some opportunities untapped," said the Haas driver: "The air is thin for us, it's always a bit frustrating when you fail to utilize potential." At least, after the disappointing practice sessions, where Hülkenberg went off the track multiple times and even hit the barrier once, he improved. "We performed well in the crucial sessions," Hülkenberg emphasized. This indicates a positive outlook for the upcoming race in Monza.
The Haas F1 team is also facing challenges, as Jos Verstappen expressed his disappointment with the team's performance and regression in recent races. Despite Hülkenberg's eleventh place finish in the previous race, he expressed that there were missed opportunities for better results.
