Verstappen: RB22 Is 'Made of Paper' After Monza Qualifying Woes

Max Verstappen's Monza qualifying was compromised by a recurring rear-end issue, prompting a blunt radio message: the RB22 is 'made of paper.' Certain rear components can't survive a race weekend, causing excessive bouncing over kerbs and bumps.

Why it matters:

This is not a one-off. Verstappen has felt this 'disconnect' all season, with parts breaking or getting stuck in practice and races. It has forced him to hold back and take fewer risks.

The details:

• Qualified sixth, nearly three tenths off Gasly's surprise pole, after the issue resurfaced between FP3 and qualifying.
• The problem is at the rear—not a safety issue like the rear-wing failures, but pure lap-time loss. Verstappen declined to specify which components are failing.
• "We sometimes have components that break or get stuck," he said. "Then the car doesn't take bumps and kerbs properly. We gave away a lot of lap time."
• And he's "not even surprised" anymore: "Almost every weekend something goes wrong."

What's next:

Verstappen's Sunday depends on whether Red Bull can fix the degradation overnight. If the car feels like it did in final practice, he can fight at the front; if not, he has little confidence. He added: "You're not fighting for the championship anyway, so you have to put it into perspective."