Verstappen confirms: Red Bull tries to copy McLaren!

Following his second-place finish in the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix qualifying, Max Verstappen indicated that the updates to his Red Bull Racing car seem to be working. However, the four-time world champion is not yet fully satisfied. He hopes the Austrian team will take further steps, for example, to improve tyre management.

Dealing with turre is an absolute strength of McLaren. As long as Red Bull can't at least match that, it will be difficult to catch up with the team of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. That's why Verstappen told the Dutch press, including GPblog: "Well, we first need to ensure our tires don't overheat, otherwise we could put another ten updates on the car, but it doesn't matter."

How McLaren manages such strong tyre management is a big question for all the technicians at Red Bull. "They are just really clever about it," is Verstappen's conclusion about his competitor. And yes, of course, Red Bull is trying to copy McLaren's trick. "Well, that's what we're working on. It's not easy, otherwise everyone would have it on their car."

So, the updates introduced in Imola are a first step in the right direction, but Verstappen desires more from his team. "Everyone knows that these races are naturally crucial. Everyone is working on it. But we also know where we need to find time. That's what we're actively working on."

Thus, Verstappen continues to emphasize improvement. "Just controlled. Applying pressure in a controlled manner," he describes it.