Monza, Italy – It was a tough Friday for Red Bull at the Italian Grand Prix, as Max Verstappen was forced to sit out the first free practice session to make way for development driver Ayumu Iwasa. The decision has left the Milton Keynes-based squad with plenty of work to do ahead of qualifying.
The situation is made worse by Red Bull's ongoing struggle to fight at the very front. In recent weeks, Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren have all made significant gains, leaving Red Bull behind. That deficit became even more apparent when Verstappen finally took to the track in FP2 and immediately reported a host of issues with his car.
Red Bull's Technical Director, Pierre Wache, admitted that the main issue is car balance. "I think clearly we have a balance issue on the car, is the main thing. A little bit like Zandvoort, to be honest," he said. The team is trying various fixes, from set-up changes to new components. However, Verstappen's absence in FP1 proved to be a hindrance.
"What doesn't help is when Max is not driving during P1, and he jumps in the car there [for FP2], and we have less time to react. Now, we have to react for P3," Wache added. This means the team has to work extra quickly to find a solution before qualifying.
Monza is the ultimate power circuit, and although the FIA recently reconfirmed that Red Bull has the best internal combustion engine on the grid, they still fall behind rivals Ferrari and Mercedes when the electrical element is factored in. Energy management is crucial, not just in qualifying but across the race distance. However, Wache downplayed concerns about energy management, which Iwasa had mentioned after his qualifying simulation run.
"It should not be [a concern]. I think it's why free practice is there, to try to highlight the issue and try to, after that, fix it. But yeah, I think it's a normal weekend on that aspect. After, for Max, the main concern for me is the balance," Wache stated.
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