Red Bull engineer's playful plea to Hamilton highlights team's Suzuka struggles

Red Bull chief engineer Paul Monaghan made a lighthearted but telling plea for Lewis Hamilton to 'take over' a media session after a difficult first practice at the Japanese Grand Prix, highlighting the reigning champions' uncharacteristic struggle for one-lap pace at Suzuka.

Why it matters:

The off-the-cuff remark, while delivered in jest, underscores the palpable pressure on Red Bull to solve its Friday performance issues. After dominating the sport for over two years, any session where Max Verstappen finishes outside the top five—let alone in 10th place—is a significant event. The public display of humor from a senior engineer also reveals the team's human side during a rare moment of vulnerability on track.

The details:

• The incident occurred during a new post-Friday format where a senior team member from each squad addresses the media. Monaghan was representing Red Bull after a challenging FP1.
• Verstappen finished the session 1.3 seconds off the pace set by McLaren's Oscar Piastri, a substantial gap by F1 standards, especially on a circuit Red Bull has dominated in recent years.
• While analyzing the tricky Sector 1 at Suzuka, Monaghan noticed Hamilton—scheduled to speak next—entering the media pen. He quipped, "please, Lewis, take over, I'm digging myself a deep hole, and I'm about to fall in."
• Monaghan's subsequent analysis pointed to a fundamental car balance issue, stating the team must improve through the many corners of Sector 1, and that better lap time elsewhere on the track would follow.

What's next:

The focus for Red Bull shifts entirely to the overnight work at Suzuka. Monaghan explicitly stated that improving the car's balance is the "challenge for the evening." All eyes will be on whether the team can decode the RB20's issues and return Verstappen to a competitive qualifying position on Saturday, or if Suzuka will expose a genuine weakness in their 2024 package that rivals can exploit.