Max Verstappen notched a third-place end in final week’s Method 1 United States Grand Prix. Whereas the end result was fraught with controversy — Verstappen benefited from a five-second handed all the way down to his rival within the Drivers’ Championship, Lando Norris, which McLaren has since requested a “proper of evaluation” — the end result allowed Verstappen to outscore his rival for the primary time for the reason that Belgian Grand Prix.
His try at the same end result on this week’s Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix has gotten off to a rocky begin.
Verstappen’s first observe session was marked not solely by some ground injury he picked up on his FB20, however was additionally minimize brief as a result of a lack of energy unit in his automotive. Whereas Verstappen returned to the observe for the prolonged 90-minute FP2 session in Mexico Metropolis — Pirelli is conducting a tire check which resulted within the elongated observe session — Verstappen’s FP2 was once more minimize brief, because the group reported one other drawback together with his energy unit:
Automobile 1 won’t run once more in FP2 as we examine a PU difficulty additional #F1 || #MexicoGP
— Oracle Crimson Bull Racing (@redbullracing) October 25, 2024
Talking after FP1, Crimson Bull Senior Advisor Dr. Helmut Marko famous each the ground injury, in addition to some uncertainty over the lack of energy:
Helmut Marko on Max’s ground injury and engine difficulty
“The ground is badly broken. Now we have to interchange it. Luckily, we nonetheless have a spare ground. And as for the engine: we do not know precisely what the trigger is but.”
[https://t.co/w4DsqTmtA4]
— RBR Day by day (@RBR_Daily) October 25, 2024
If Crimson Bull is compelled to vary the ability unit on Verstappen’s RB20, he would face a five-place grid penalty because of this. Verstappen already exceeded his allotted variety of energy items this season and served a penalty when the group modified out the ability unit on his RB20 on the Belgian Grand Prix again in July.
This comes at a vital time within the season for Verstappen and Crimson Bull. Whereas he leads Norris by 57 factors within the Drivers’ Championship (and Charles Leclerc by 79 factors) Crimson Bull trails McLaren within the Constructors’ Championship by 40 factors, and they’re solely 8 factors forward of Ferrari in that struggle.
With Sergio Pérez in the course of what he described this week as a “horrible season,” Crimson Bull wants every part they’ll get from Verstappen if they’ll by some means pull out a Constructors’ Championship. As for the Drivers’ Championship, Verstappen wants each level he can salvage to carry off Norris and Leclerc.
This isn’t how they needed to begin their journey to Mexico Metropolis.
