Red Bull is banking on McLaren’s daring car setup at the Brazilian GP backfiring.
The iconic Interlagos circuit has been freshly re-asphalted for the 2024 edition, but drivers like championship leader Max Verstappen—who qualified P4 for Saturday’s sprint—report that the new surface has made the track even bumpier.
“Our car doesn’t handle that well at all,” Verstappen said. “We’re bouncing around, and if we’re already this far off after just one lap, that’s not a good sign for the race.”
Verstappen is also facing a grid penalty for a new Honda engine, adding to his challenges. “I’ve got a lot of work to do,” he admitted.
His father, Jos Verstappen, was more critical of Red Bull’s performance, stating, “Fourth is simply not good enough. He has understeer in one corner and is close to oversteer in the next. There’s no balance in that car. He told me, ‘the car just doesn’t work.’”
There’s a glimmer of hope for Ferrari and Red Bull: McLaren may have pushed their car too low to the ground. While this could lead to faster lap times, it risks excessive wear on the underbody, which might result in disqualifications.
“When the McLarens sped by, it looked like a fireworks display,” joked Red Bull team boss Christian Horner. Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur agreed, stating, “If everyone ran as low as McLaren did in practice, they wouldn’t pass the regulations for the sprint.”
For now, McLaren appears to be in control, with Verstappen’s title rival Lando Norris qualifying P2 for the sprint, right behind teammate Oscar Piastri. Team boss Andrea Stella indicated that team orders could be in play.
“Lando is the driver in contention for the championship, so it’s natural that we will support him,” Stella said.
Piastri mentioned he might have to relinquish the sprint win for team strategy. “Yes, I’ve said I would if it came to that,” the Australian acknowledged. “It would be nice to win, but it’s only one point, and the main race is what really matters.”
On the other hand, Verstappen and Red Bull might find solace in the pressure building on Norris. The 24-year-old snapped at an interviewer on Friday, saying, “I don’t care,” and “I hate these questions” when asked about Verstappen’s P4 qualifying.
“It was just a normal question,” former F1 driver Christijan Albers noted.
Ex-Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos added, “You can see Lando is getting irritated by these questions about Max. He says, ‘I’m not thinking about Max,’ but of course, he is!”