GPblog understands that Red Bull has neither changed the engine in Verstappen’s RB22 nor made any adjustments to its setup. As a result, the four-time world champion will not receive a new power unit or any other modifications that would trigger a pit-lane start.
“We tried, but in terms of setup we didn’t really improve anything. On top of that, we’re just slow on the straights. Somehow there still seems to be something wrong with the engine. That’s my biggest concern heading into tomorrow,” Verstappen told GPblog and other Dutch media after qualifying.
According to the four-time champion, that problem did not occur during the sprint race. He only noticed in qualifying that the car was lacking straight-line speed. Verstappen explained that this also affected energy consumption. He further noted that the issue seemed to be mainly on his side of the garage and not on Isack Hadjar’s, something that was confirmed by team boss Laurent Mekies.
“On my side of the garage, we were somehow on the back foot the whole qualifying. We just didn’t have top speed on all the straights. Then of course you use more battery because you’re flat-out for longer. And then in the last sector it’s a complete disaster,” the Dutchman explained.
No engine change for Verstappen
Afterwards, Verstappen made it clear he would have preferred Red Bull to tackle the problem decisively, even if it meant a grid penalty: “Yes, preferably. If you’re here, you’ll stay around here. Maybe you gain one position. In that respect, I’d rather we make some changes.”
The 28-year-old also emphasised that it wasn’t just top speed that was an issue. The RB22’s balance was disappointing as well. “The balance wasn’t good anyway, but it wasn’t good yesterday either. So in that respect, it stayed the same. We just didn’t have top speed either,” concluded Verstappen.
