Max Verstappen has opened up about Red Bull's current struggles, insisting the team cannot rely on 'magic' to fix the RB22's performance after a tough weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix.
The Dutchman arrived at Zandvoort under the weather, battling illness throughout the weekend. Results were far from ideal: sixth in the sprint, then a heavy crash at the final corner on the first lap of the main race in treacherous conditions, ending his afternoon and triggering a red flag.
Although Verstappen emerged unscathed, it was a disappointing farewell to his home circuit, which drops off the F1 calendar next season.
After the race, Max Verstappen admitted relief at having a week off before F1 returns at Monza. "I've not been feeling well, so I'm just looking forward to a week's break where I can just recover," he told media, including RacingNews365.
Reflecting on the Milton Keynes-based squad's situation, Verstappen — who recently signed an extension until the end of 2030 — stressed that underwhelming results are part of the team's current "reality," even though Liam Lawson secured a solid seventh place as stand-in for injured Isack Hadjar.
"I wish for more, but you need to be realistic," said the 71-time Grand Prix winner. "This season we are the fourth-fastest team. So it's not like rocking up to Zandvoort, suddenly we can do some magic things. It's just how it is."
He added, "Other teams have brought upgrades; we haven't. When you're already on the back foot, it puts you even more on the back foot. So it's nothing surprising; it's just the reality that we live in."
With the break before Monza, Verstappen hopes to recover physically and return stronger. But he knows a major turnaround won't happen overnight — the team must keep working and wait for upgrades.
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