Verstappen Cautions Red Bull Won't Dominate Every Race Despite Monza Win

Max Verstappen has issued a clear warning against expecting Red Bull to be consistently competitive across all remaining F1 weekends, despite his dominant victory at the Italian Grand Prix. The four-time champion suggests the team's recent form is still highly track-dependent.

Why it matters:

Red Bull's commanding performance at Monza, where Verstappen finished 19 seconds ahead of Lando Norris, hinted at a significant breakthrough. However, Verstappen's comments temper expectations, indicating that their recent success may not translate universally, potentially impacting the championship battle.

The big picture:

The Milton Keynes squad introduced an upgraded floor on the RB21, which was a key factor in their Monza triumph and is understood to be more broadly effective than initially thought. Strategic set-up changes between FP3 and qualifying also played a crucial role, helping Verstappen achieve the fastest-ever lap in F1 by average speed at the Temple of Speed.

The details:

• Verstappen emphasizes that Red Bull's car appears "a little bit more competitive when it’s low-to-medium downforce."
• He stated, "It's not like suddenly now we are back. It's not like we can fight, I think, every single weekend."
• Despite this caution, the 27-year-old acknowledged improved understanding of the RB21: "The positive is that we seem to understand a little bit more what we need to do with the car to be more competitive."
• He hopes this understanding will carry into upcoming rounds, recognizing some tracks will suit them better than others.

What's next:

With eight rounds remaining in the campaign, teams will closely watch Red Bull's performance on circuits with varying downforce requirements. Verstappen's outlook suggests the championship fight could remain tight, rather than a clear run for Red Bull.