Despite efforts to optimize the car for qualification, the solution was not found within three training hours. Max Verstappen, who will start the race in fifth place, does not expect to play a leading role in the Grand Prix of Mexico. “The car just isn’t performing. And it won’t tomorrow either.”
A week after the flawless weekend in Austin where Max Verstappen won both the sprint race and the main event, the world looks much bleaker an hour and a half flight away in Mexico. His challenger, Red Bull’s RB21, is not performing in the hot, thin air. “I think we’ve been struggling with tire overheating all season,” he explains. “And that’s quite a big problem here. You’re at altitude here, of course, and a little bit of sliding generates a lot of heat in the tires. That doesn’t suit us, that’s clear.”
The problem, as Verstappen outlines, was clear from the first training session – which he followed from the pit wall. But the search for balance, grip, and playing with the ride height of the new floor did not yield the desired result. “We’ve tried all directions, nothing works. Balance can do a lot, but it doesn’t help with everything. In Austin, we were also fast. But if you look at the race, we have to manage much more in certain corners than, for example, McLaren or Ferrari. But in Austin, the car was good, so you can mask that. If you don’t have balance or grip like here, it’s over.””The car,” says the four-time world champion, “just isn’t performing. And it won’t be tomorrow either. Let’s leave it at that.” A podium finish, which Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko believes is achievable, is also not in the cards according to Verstappen. “Yes, if two people in front of me drop out. I don’t even think I’ll be in the fight at the start to the first corner. It’s pointless,” he believes, “to create false hope. It hasn’t been going well all weekend. And if nothing unusual happens in front of me, it won’t be anything. We didn’t perform here last year, and we’re not this year either. I’m not even close.”
The nineteenth race out of the cycle of 24 could therefore become a decisive one regarding Verstappen’s title chances, which he has always downplayed. World Championship leader Oscar Piastri has forty points more than Verstappen, second-place Lando Norris 26.
“Piastri will probably push tomorrow as well,” Verstappen expects. “If he gets it together in the race and finds his rhythm… The big problem is that Lando is at the front. He’s not far behind Oscar in points. You know, we knew we had to be perfect until the end to have a chance. This is obviously not ideal. With four more races to go after this one, a lot of positive things need to happen. But,” he concludes, “we will try to maximize what is still possible.”
