Max Verstappen believes that his fifth-place finish in the Las Vegas Grand Prix qualifiers was the best he could achieve, but he is nonetheless concerned about the race due to a lack of speed on the straight track. “It really costs us here,” he says.
When asked after the qualifiers, Verstappen pointed out the problem. “We are lacking on the straight track with this rear wing, and we also couldn’t manage the tyres with the temperatures.”
The first issue, in particular, has been a concern since the first free practice. “It really costs us here, because you also spend a lot of time in the DRS.” How much exactly? Verstappen: “Definitely two or three tenths.”
This is all related to the rear wing that has been much discussed and written about. It’s not that Red Bull brought the wrong wing, the team simply doesn’t have a suitable wing for this type of circuit. It’s a problem that also arose earlier this season in Monza.
Priorities
However, Verstappen is neither critical nor angry; he knows it can’t be helped. “Because it has to do with the cost cap,” he says, referring to the budget ceiling. Teams are not allowed to exceed a predetermined total cost, which also forces Red Bull to make choices and set priorities. A rear wing that would have been very welcome in Las Vegas this year turned out not to be.
Verstappen: “Maybe we should evaluate that properly. Because you are now giving away ‘free’ lap time in at least two race weekends.” And will it backfire during the race? “Overtaking is definitely more difficult now. It’s not ideal, we’ll see.
