Max Verstappen gave a clear rebuttal on and off-track to those who suggested Red Bull’s poor showing in the Singapore Grand Prix had been due to a rules clarification.
Red Bull’s unbeaten run over the 2023 F1 season came to an end in Singapore last weekend as Ferrari won from pole position.The race followed a technical directive issued by the FIA which clarified the rules regarding flexible bodywork. It prompted claims Red Bull had been forced to sacrifice performance to comply with the revised regulations, but the team insisted no changes were made to its car as a result of the directive.
Verstappen has been consistently the quickest driver at Suzuka this weekend and took pole position by a dominant margin of more than half a second. Afterwards he said he always expected the Japanese track would suit the RB19 much better than Marina Bay had.
“I already felt from the preparation we had that this was going to be a good track,” said Verstappen. “But you never really know how good it’s going to be.
“But from lap one it’s been really, really nice and of course you try to find little improvements here and there and I think we did that. To be on pole here is fantastic.”
Red Bull strong performance in Japan should put an end to insinuations about the Singapore technical directive, Verstappen believes.
“We had a bad weekend,” he said. “Of course then people start talking about ‘it’s all because of the technical directives’. I think they can go suck on an egg.
“From my side I was just very fired-up to to have a good weekend here and make sure that we were strong.”
Verstappen’s pole position increases Red Bull’s chances of clinching the constructors’ championship tomorrow.
“That was the aim,” said Verstappen. “Especially coming from Singapore I wanted to have a really strong weekend. Of course we know that this is the first proper opportunity to win it so we also want to do that.”
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2023 Japanese Grand Prix
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- Mercedes expect “tight” fight for second in championship after Ferrari gains
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- Transcript: What Alonso really meant by being “thrown to the lions” at Suzuka
Armchair Expert (@armchairexpert)
23rd September 2023, 9:08
Meanwhile Hamilton and Mercedes are 1s off, 0.5s behind McLaren and Ferrari, despite being with them on pace all season long on high speed circuits like Suzuka. Really makes you think…
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
23rd September 2023, 9:31
if i had to hazard a guess, Mercedes aerodynamicists are really data-analysts who are in good with their boss. And because the boss only really understands whole numbers, they all believe the world revolves around their algorithms and CFD apps. Wouldn’t be the first people (see politicians) who believe in what software spits out to them.
Rhys Lloyd (@justrhysism)
23rd September 2023, 15:16
@pcxmac an educated guess given we know Toto has commented in the past that their “numbers” told them that the “zero-pod” design would work.
AlanD
23rd September 2023, 15:45
PCX, you may have hit on something there. If you think about how Merc handle race strategies, they often seem to do the thing which the computer simulation says is the optimum race strategy when the gut feeling is they need to do something radically different.
joshj81
23rd September 2023, 16:01
This is further supported by Russell’s comment back a few races ago (I can’t remember which race, sorry). He was furious that they were nowhere near the front after their race simulation calculations predicted a podium or win the night before. Well pointed out pcxmac!
SteveP
23rd September 2023, 9:35
Mostly people are probably thinking that, since the FIA warned teams before the directive was applied, there might be some reason Aston Martin dropped off the pace in recent races.
Wait and see, Suzuka is high tyre deg. and Ferrari have a problem with that, so race performance over a few races will be something to watch.
osnola
23rd September 2023, 11:36
It is true the moving front wing if the Mercedes already was cause for concern in 2021.
So very possible they had to adapt it as a result of the TD.
Jere (@jerejj)
23rd September 2023, 9:08
Lol, but accurate.
erix
23rd September 2023, 9:15
Thankfully ..he did not say eggs.
Jeffrey Powell
23rd September 2023, 9:36
Nice to see the team not restraining there drivers comments due to corporate image I’m sure this will only improve their image amongst the anti establishment set.
MichaelN
23rd September 2023, 10:32
This is their corporate image, though.
Red Bull has a target audience, and it’s one they know well.
falken (@falken)
23rd September 2023, 17:13
Well. Apart from the Mexican’s. Who knows what goes through their heads, eh
MadMax (@madmax)
23rd September 2023, 10:14
Usual rude bully language. RBR hooligans will like it. Stupid world
David (@nvherman)
23rd September 2023, 10:58
@madmax how is this comment in any way bullying? It wasn’t even that rude.
Nunaya Dambizness
23rd September 2023, 11:18
😂😂😂 Cry harder. 😭😭😭
osnola
23rd September 2023, 11:39
how does the egg taste?
Illusive (@illusive)
23rd September 2023, 14:42
You generate enough salt to season the egg perfectly while you suck at it.
Nick T.
23rd September 2023, 14:54
I dislike Max, but this is pretty mild stuff. Not sure how it could be considered bullying or offensive.
PeterF
23rd September 2023, 15:13
i hate the word, but i think calling you a snowflake is well warranted
melanos
23rd September 2023, 15:21
Do not bother to argue, this is more like a spinal reflex, well below those little cortical grey cells (if any)
Ronald
23rd September 2023, 16:13
If you think this is bully language or rude, you might need to grow some skin.
Bart
23rd September 2023, 19:06
It is only directed to those who suggested that Red Bull had been cheating and the TD against bending wings was the reason for Singapore’s slump. This proves otherwise.
It is quite mild compared to Bottas’s reply “To whom it may concern …”
melanos
23rd September 2023, 19:32
followed by FU maybe?
David BR (@david-br)
23rd September 2023, 14:05
It’s an eggy, sorry, edgy, comment but valid and – the only really important thing – backed up on the track. Verstappen had a point to prove and proved it. Job done.
Aston Martin on the other hand…
someone or something
23rd September 2023, 15:20
Is everything alright?
melanos
23rd September 2023, 15:23
Would you use 235-uranium, plutonium or would you go all the way to hydrogen?
FlyingD
23rd September 2023, 15:24
Are you a Hammie fan?
MadMax (@madmax)
23rd September 2023, 15:29
Versi fan?
HeyRob
23rd September 2023, 15:31
Wow. You should seek professional help dude.
“I have no plans to race until I’m 40” comes to mind… so the chances of him “meeting” anyone on the way down are pretty much nil unless RBR messes up 2026-2028. Either way, he’ll probably walk away from F1 then. Verstappen’s ‘Mic drop’.
All the best.
sam
23rd September 2023, 18:55
Hey max, grow up.
J3D89
24th September 2023, 3:41
So you can get a bigger egg?