Verstappen raises Red Bull concerns in Monaco after 'worst possible outcome' (2024)

Max Verstappen is short on confidence heading into the Monaco Grand Prix (Image: Getty)

Max Verstappen believes that even major set-up changes won't be able to rescue Red Bull from a miserable Monaco Grand Prix weekend. The Dutchman and his team-mate, Sergio Perez, bumped their way around the street circuit during two dismal practice sessions on Friday.

The Red Bull pairing were 11th and 12th during FP1, and while there was a slight improvement in FP2, Verstappen was still more than half a second behind front-runner Charles Leclerc, and Perez was more than eight tenths adrift.

Staggering on-board footage showed the extent of the ride problems which plagued the reigning constructors' champions in Monaco. Verstappen bellowed over the team radio: "I am jumping like a kangaroo, man. I'm getting headaches. It's crazy!"

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A fuming Perez added: "The ride is horrendous. I cannot see the apex of Turn 3 from the front." Despite having let the dust settle after the second session, Verstappen found no reason to feel positive heading into the rest of the weekend.

"I don't think I can describe what is going on," he explained. "It's difficult, but not what I did not expect. The worst possible outcome of the weekend. The bumps, kerbs and camber changes, we lose a lot of lap time as the car struggles to drive.

"We don't have a clear direction. These things we can't change with set-up because it's how the car is made. We can make some set-up changes overnight. [Ferrari] are miles ahead, I am not even thinking about that. I am just focused on making the car more drivable."

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Max Verstappen posted the fourth-fastest lap time in FP2 (Image: Getty)

Verstappen started the 2024 season on fire but his dominance has waned in recent weeks. In Miami, Lando Norris hit the front and pulled out an advantage of almost eight seconds over the three-time world champion by the time he took the chequered flag for his first Grand Prix win.

The McLaren star could have made it two in a row at Imola last weekend as he rapidly closed in during the final laps, but Verstappen clung onto victory by less than a second. Looking ahead to Sunday's race in Monaco, former world champion Jenson Button shares Verstappen's concerns.

"On a normal race track you can deal with it and that's Max's strength - he can drive a very twitchy car," he told Sky Sports. "Around Monaco, where it's on the limit everywhere, you can't.

"Also Checo, that bouncing is aggressive into Turn 3 and we saw it around other places on the lap as well. They're trying to run it in a place where it's getting the maximum downforce out of the car, but they're going to have to back it off to give drivers the confidence again to push the car."

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