(Motorsport-Total.com) – Max Verstappen could compete at the Monaco Grand Prix with a further modified Red Bull. The Dutchman is struggling with the weaknesses of the RB22 on bumps and when driving over curbs. However, Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies is confident that the problems can still be solved this season.
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During the Canadian Grand Prix, Verstappen spoke again about the difficulties when driving over curbs. Although Red Bull had already made changes last year to improve the car’s behavior on curbs, the problem persists.
Curbs remain Red Bull’s weak point
“It’s not so bad over bumps, but it’s very difficult on curbs,” Verstappen explained to Motorsport.com in Montreal. “That has to do with the philosophy of our car at the moment, how you build a car that is fast. Of course, you try to better connect the two things, but at the moment we can’t find a compromise for that. That’s why it’s still a bit difficult for us.”
How much the problem can manifest itself was shown, according to Verstappen, especially in qualifying in Montreal. After attacking the curbs in the last chicane, the effect was immediately noticeable. Afterwards, the Dutchman joked: “When that happened, I just thought: Oh yes, this is going to be great. I think I’ll have to order a new back.”
Is the problem solvable in 2025?
Red Bull still expects to get the difficulties under control during the course of the season. Due to the current ground-effect era, the problems have become more visible, but fundamentally the team has been struggling with them for several years, even though the relevant technical regulations have hardly changed.
Verstappen is surprised that the problems with bumps and curbs have remained so persistent. “If you had known exactly what the cause was, you would have already solved it, and that’s exactly what we’re working on now,” he says.
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When asked whether Red Bull could solve the problems by the end of this year or if it is a structural issue that will only be fully resolved by 2027, Mekies confidently replied: “There is no reason why it can’t be fixed by 2026.”
Solution not at the expense of performance
However, Mekies also emphasized that the engineers have to perform a difficult balancing act. Red Bull does not want to eliminate the problems at any cost but at the same time wants to maintain a competitive overall package for all types of tracks.
“You can solve the problem in a way that not only eliminates these issues but also makes the car slower overall,” explains the Frenchman. “We have to find a solution that fixes these problems but at the same time improves the car. For me, that is the challenge. That’s why it will take time.”
Nevertheless, Mekies remains optimistic that Red Bull will make progress as the season progresses. According to him, the team has already identified and solved several fundamental problems of the car.
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