Credits: IMAGO / ABACAPRESS

After the 2024 Italian GP, Max Verstappen has qualified on pole once in the last nine races. His last pole came in Austria and his last win came in Spain which was five races ago excluding the upcoming race. In Monza, he starts from P7 behind both McLarens, Mercedes and Ferraris.

The Dutchman was closer to P10 than pole and was almost seven-tenths slower than the pole sitter Lando Norris. Coming into this weekend in Italy, the defeated reigning champion had admitted that he can’t do more.

In an interview with De Telegraaf, Verstappen discussed how the gap continues to reduce in the championship every race weekend. He said, “Yes, it will deteriorate rapidly if it continues like this. But that’s what I’ve always said. But I’ve also won a few races in May and June that we actually shouldn’t have won. I’m just doing my best. I can’t do more.“

It’s no secret Red Bull is in trouble with the RB20 fully exposed relative to its predecessor and its current competition. McLaren has set the standard with the MCL38 since the Miami GP and has also become the favorite to win the championship.

On the drivers’ title side of things, despite a 70-point gap, Norris is still hopeful he’ll cover up in the nine races. Moreover, the championship threat for Red Bull has peaked in the last two to three race weekends after a lot of build-up before the summer break.

Verstappen had to eke out the wins in Montreal and Barcelona and has been winless since. The championship gap is closing rapidly but the Austrian outfit has been unable to come up with a solution to their problems.

With another bleak outcome on the horizon, the 26-year-old has also become extremely vocal about these shortcomings. However, just like every ambitious F1 world champion, he’s making efforts to overcome this troubling scenario.

Verstappen taking a hands-on approach to overcome his team’s troubles

Now that Verstappen and Co. aren’t enjoying unprecedented dominance like last year, the 26-year-old has started sitting with his engineers to tackle the difficulties he’s facing on the track. He’s become more hands-on to protect his championship lead and the title.

This was highlighted in a report by De Telegraaf. The report read, “Verstappen already said on Thursday that Red Bull is working hard to get things moving again. Verstappen virtually sat down with his team of engineers to discuss the difficulties and possibilities.”

Hopefully, Verstappen’s increased input will help them bring their championship defense back on track. Currently, they only have one leg to stand on in the drivers’ championship. However, with McLaren’s lack of experience at being a frontrunner in recent years, Red Bull can mount a solid defense.