Column Jos Verstappen: 'Red Bull did some insane problem solving'

Published on 23 May 2022 by de redactie

I had a good weekend in Barcelona. When Max wins, I'm having a great time anyway. It was extremely hot. That makes it difficult for a driver to manage his tyres and then Max had problems with the DRS system that didn’t work. You could clearly hear the frustration in his voice. And I could also see it in the way he drove. Then he drives a bit more aggressively, he wants more. That style of driving has brought him a lot in the past. Max also made a mistake and ended up in the gravel, and then got stuck behind George Russell. Then he wants to pass as quickly as possible, but once again we saw how it is impossible to overtake in Formula 1 without DRS.

I have to say that I think Red Bull solved it insanely well. They changed the strategy. The decision to put Max on the softest tyre for the second time - in the third stint - gave him the chance to push. That way he grabbed his lead. I could understand his frustration at the start of the race. If things don't go his way because of a problem, he's the kind of guy who expresses his dissatisfaction. There is nothing wrong with that as far as I am concerned. He asks the utmost from the team, but that goes both ways. That's why they are so successful together.

I think Red Bull has an idea where the problem with the DRS system comes from. It wasn’t really the first time. I trust they will find a solution. It's still a mechanical sport, anything can happen. And not only to us, as we have seen again this weekend. I am happy that Max is leading the championship now, but it could be different story next week. Ferrari is very fast, especially in qualifying. When it comes to one lap, they have a better car. Max is very strong in the race and sometimes things have to go his way. Ferrari has also benefited in the past from his dropouts.

In Monaco I expect Ferrari to be strong as well. It will be a very interesting weekend again. In Barcelona it also became clear that Mercedes has definitely made a big step forward. At the same time, the difference in the race compared to us was still four tenths of a second. They still have some work to do there, but we are not sitting still either.

Jos Verstappen