Lando Norris
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Max Verstappen’s struggles to get out of sixth place at the Australian Grand Prix came down to an issue spotted in his telemetry.
Verstappen managed to finish sixth at the Australian Grand Prix despite starting the race in P20 due to a mishap during qualifying.
The four-time world champion was rapid from the first lap, managing to get up to sixth place before the 20th lap. Despite finishing sixth, Verstappen managed to secure the fastest lap at Albert Park.
A first fastest lap of the season for Max Verstappen! Where would he have finished if he started in the top 10?
However, Verstappen’s battery issues kept him sixth, as he struggled to overtake Lando Norris and didn’t come close to either of the Mercedes or Ferrari drivers.
Red Bull’s weight issues may have cost Verstappen significant race pace. However, it appears the car has a much bigger problem for Max Verstappen to overcome.
READ MORE: Many Red Bull staff are convinced that Max Verstappen will ‘step away’ from F1 before his deal ends
Davide Valsecchi exposes Red Bull’s pace problem after Australian Grand Prix
Davide Valsecchi discussed how the Australian Grand Prix panned out for Red Bull on Chiacchiere da Box, and why there is cause for concern.
After looking at Red Bull’s telemetry, Valsecchi noticed that Red Bull’s use of the battery caused them to lose nearly 60 km/h during the races. The car lost so much pace that Max Verstappen was able to make turns without braking.
“I saw the telemetry, and let me tell you one thing: Red Bull is the one having the most difficulty of all teams. I think that Verstappen lost up to 58 km/h…”
“Verstappen was making the turns without braking. But the car had already decelerated so much and had already lowered slightly that he didn’t even need to brake anymore.”
“In this respect, Ferrari wasn’t doing badly. Red Bull was the one that lost the most when it went to recharge the battery…”
“Ferrari, on the other hand, only lost 30 km/h, which means it’s not the most powerful system wise, but it’s more balanced…”
What can F1 do to regain Max Verstappen’s approval?
READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton and Arvid Lindblad miss out as F1 fans vote for Australian GP Driver of the Day
Max Verstappen’s frustration could also come down to poor Red Bull performance
Coming into the season, Max Verstappen was vocal about his frustration with the new F1 regulations, especially due to their similarity with Formula E.
Even after a positive Australian Grand Prix for Verstappen, there has been concern about the Dutch ace’s future in the sport.
Laurent Mekies has made Verstappen feel comfortable as team principal. But if Valsecchi’s observation appears to be true, that comfort could very quickly translate into frustration.
Red Bull must identify what went wrong for them in Australia to lose such pace and ensure that the issue is resolved soon, if not by the time of the Chinese Grand Prix.
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