After Friday follow and experiencing a ‘disconnect’ within the automotive steadiness, Max Verstappen already knew that System 1 qualifying at Monza could be troublesome, and that proved to be the case a day later. The Pink Bull driver set the sixth-fastest time on Saturday, virtually three tenths behind shock polesitter Pierre Gasly, however that doesn’t inform the entire story.
When crew principal Laurent Mekies got here on the radio afterwards to apologise for the messy closing run, Verstappen responded by saying that the RB22 is made out of paper.
Chatting with Dutch media within the paddock later, the four-time world champion defined precisely what was behind that remark: “We typically have elements on the automotive that both break or get caught. I’ve had that feeling very often all through the season.
“Typically it occurs in follow after which you possibly can nonetheless repair it for the following day. Typically it occurs throughout the race, which is what I had in Austria, and now it occurred between FP3 and qualifying.
“Then the automotive not takes the bumps and kerbs correctly. Our automotive merely bounces much more then and we positively gave away quite a lot of lap time due to that.”
Requested by Motorsport.com, Verstappen says the issue is on the rear of the RB22. Understandably, he doesn’t need to go into element, however stresses that sure elements on the rear are ‘not ok’ to get by means of a race weekend.
In accordance with the Dutchman, sure elements on the rear of the RB22 are at present ‘not ok’
Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Pictures through Getty Pictures
“I do know the place it’s myself, however I’m not the engineer who can then remedy it,” he stated. “I do have some concepts, however I’ve been coping with this for years now.”
The latter remark is outstanding provided that the technical laws had been fully overhauled for 2026 and primarily all the pieces on this 12 months’s automotive is new. Nonetheless, based on Verstappen, Pink Bull has been fighting the identical subject for years.
“The crew does hearken to me and they’re additionally attempting to unravel it, however in the meanwhile they’re simply not succeeding,” Verstappen stated. “Some weekends you endure from it much less since you drive over the kerbs much less and have fewer of these exhausting impacts.
“In Zandvoort I didn’t full a lap, so that you by no means understand how it could have developed over the remainder of the race. However yeah, it occurs fairly often.”
Verstappen taking fewer dangers attributable to ‘automotive degradation’
It even signifies that Verstappen, by his personal admission, takes fewer dangers at sure moments in comparison with earlier F1 seasons: “I’ve already had that a couple of instances this season, sure, the place I intentionally maintain again a bit
“After all, we’ve already had quite a lot of issues this season and in the event you’re combating for seventh place, then you definately shouldn’t be driving like that both. If one thing then goes unsuitable…”
Though that is much less of a security subject than Pink Bull’s rear wing issues, Verstappen says he isn’t taking each threat in 2026
Picture by: Andy Hone/ LAT Pictures through Getty Pictures
Verstappen does stress that the issue in Monza, in contrast to his earlier crashes brought on by the rotating rear wing, is just not a security subject.
“No. Look, with that rear wing, in the event you abruptly lose aerodynamics someplace, then that may be very harmful. However that is merely lap time that you just’re giving freely,” he defined.
“Now you’re nonetheless driving on the restrict, however you possibly can’t make optimum use of the potential as a result of the automotive is bouncing everywhere.”
After Verstappen’s radio message concerning the RB22 being made out of paper, it was rapidly became a ‘papier-Wache’ pun on social media, a play on ‘paper-mache’ and Pink Bull’s technical director Pierre Wache.
Verstappen can snort on the wordplay, however provides: “Yeah, I’d higher not use that joke myself!”
“However anyway, it’s only a disgrace. I do know everyone seems to be doing their greatest and you may’t blame one particular person both, as a result of finally it’s a really huge crew.
“It’s only a disgrace that quite a lot of issues this season aren’t at all times proper, or not less than aren’t working correctly.”
Verstappen additionally predicts a troublesome race on Sunday, not less than if Pink Bull is unable to resolve the “automotive degradation”
Picture by: Steven Tee / LAT Pictures through Getty Pictures
Verstappen not even stunned by Pink Bull’s many setbacks
Verstappen has beforehand stated that one thing appears to go in opposition to Pink Bull each race weekend. On Saturday, it was not solely the automotive degradation, but in addition the slipstream plan that fell aside.
Liam Lawson didn’t make Q3 after being held up on the first chicane for Oscar Piastri, who consequently has to drop three locations on the grid.
“I am not even stunned by it anymore. Nearly each weekend one thing goes unsuitable all through the season,” Verstappen stated. “I at all times need to get the very best out of it and if that doesn’t occur as a result of one thing goes unsuitable on a regular basis, then in fact I nonetheless get pissed off.
“However alternatively, you’re not combating for the championship anyway, so that you simply need to attempt to put it into perspective slightly.”
Verstappen can solely battle for an occasional podium end or race win this 12 months, though even that can be troublesome in Monza. Requested what ought to usually be attainable by way of race tempo, Verstappen concludes: “I don’t know, it actually will depend on how the automotive feels tomorrow with this subject.
“If they will repair it for tomorrow and if the automotive feels a bit prefer it did in third follow, then in fact I’ll attempt to go along with that group on the entrance. But when it feels prefer it does now, then I don’t have a lot confidence.”
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