Red Bull revival feels real – Verstappen

Max Verstappen believes Red Bull has emerged from its difficult spell, after securing poles in both Monza and Baku.

"We learned quite a lot in Monza, and we're carrying that forward," said the 27-year-old, who also won in Italy a fortnight ago, after a fraught qualifying session at Baku.

"The car is simply more stable, and you can attack the corners with a bit more confidence. You can fine-tune the setup more during the weekend, and then you also have much better reference points in qualifying."

Verstappen said the RB21’s strength at low downforce tracks is encouraging, but pointed to tougher tests ahead. "Here, we're still running with very little downforce. So we'll have to wait and see how it goes in Singapore and a few other circuits, where you run with more downforce," he warned.

For now, consistency is the main gain. "It's just positive that I've been feeling pretty good all weekend," Verstappen said. "We don't have to make so many radical changes to the car anymore. That also makes it a bit more pleasant to work with."

He credited Laurent Mekies’ arrival as team boss, filling the void left by the sacked Christian Horner, for lifting the mood. "We've had some really great moments together. "When you go through difficult times, it's not nice," said Verstappen.

"Now that things are going well again, it's extra nice that you got through those bad times with everyone. The atmosphere is really good, and that's important. It also gives more confidence, and that's important. Then people can see the light at the end of the tunnel."

Asked what role he played in the revival, Verstappen first smiled: "Driving laps." He then explained: "We've had a lot of discussions about how we can adjust things and how we can test things. We've done well."

He even compared the situation to past struggles at Red Bull. "That was very different," he said of 2020. "It's different now with the budget cap. Ultimately, you always have difficult moments.

"Of course, you sometimes think 'will this ever work out?' On the other hand, there's no point in continuing to think that way. You have to think of solutions, talk to people, and exchange ideas."

For Red Bull’s long-time advisor Dr Helmut Marko, Verstappen is the decisive factor. "Max is incredibly valuable, especially in these conditions," he told Sport1 after qualifying.

"With him, you can see how, even in the premier class of motorsport, among the best of the best, the wheat is separated from the chaff."