Formula 1 Driver Max Verstappen Discusses Red Bull’s Performance Gap with McLaren

Max Verstappen, the Red Bull Racing driver, has expressed a realistic outlook on the team’s inability to close the race pace deficit against McLaren in the short term. This comes despite the introduction of several upgrades planned for the 2025 Formula 1 car.

Verstappen’s Expectations from Upcoming RB25 Version

In a recent interview, Verstappen mentioned that he anticipates a slight performance boost from his latest version of the RB25, but not enough to immediately bridge the gap with McLaren. He further added that this is another small step forward in their continuous development process.

The team’s second driver, Yuki Tsunoda, will also receive the latest specification of the car at the Imola Grand Prix, along with additional upgrades for Europe’s first grand prix of the year.

Red Bull’s Concern over McLaren’s Superior Race Pace

Reflecting on the disappointing Miami Grand Prix, where McLaren‘s Oscar Piastri clinched the victory, Verstappen admitted that Red Bull struggled to match ‘s race pace. He acknowledged this as a significant concern for the team.

Upcoming Upgrades and Technical Directive for Barcelona’s Spanish Grand Prix

In two weeks, further upgrades are expected for the Spanish Grand Prix, along with a stricter technical directive on flexing front wings. This move is intended to curb the exploitation of aerodynamic elasticity, which McLaren is believed to be utilizing effectively. However, Verstappen doesn’t expect this directive to provide a significant performance boost.

The Mystery Behind McLaren’s Tyre Management Advantage

One area where Red Bull is still trying to understand and match McLaren is tyre management, particularly in high degradation races. Verstappen admitted that it’s difficult to predict how close they can get without first figuring out the secret behind ‘s advantage. He also mentioned that this advantage may not always be as significant, depending on the track conditions.

With Pirelli bringing its softest tyres to Imola, this may not help Red Bull in their pursuit of McLaren. The team will continue to analyze and adapt their strategies to close the gap gradually.