Max Verstappen Reflects on Set-Up Missteps at Azerbaijan GP: A Costly Pursuit for Improvement Turns Sour

Max Verstappen regrets modifications that deteriorated his Red Bull F1 vehicle's performance, reports Lewis Larkam from Baku.

Max Verstappen admits that adjustments made to the set-up of his Red Bull Formula 1 vehicle resulted in a performance decline, ultimately costing him during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The driver from Red Bull secured a fifth-place finish in Baku following a chaotic conclusion to the race, which resulted in Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz colliding on the second-to-last lap, thus elevating Verstappen by two positions.

Throughout the 51-lap Grand Prix, Verstappen frequently voiced his frustrations with his Red Bull vehicle, and in the final three laps, he was surpassed by his title competitor Lando Norris, who was making a comeback.

"Verstappen expressed to the press, including Crash.net, his belief that the alterations made to the qualifying rounds were costly, making it significantly challenging to navigate the track."

"The vehicle was bouncing significantly, with the tires losing contact with the road during turns. It's quite challenging when the wheels aren't touching the pavement."

"We aimed to improve the car with some modifications, but regrettably, those changes ended up having a negative impact."

"The overall performance has improved with the new floor. Regrettably, we made a few incorrect choices heading into the qualifying round, which cost us."

Verstappen stated that Norris overtaking him towards the end of the race was "completely expected," attributing this to "everything" in his race amounting to the "most unfavorable situation."

Norris, having secured the bonus point for recording the race's quickest lap, has trimmed Verstappen's lead in the championship by three points, bringing the gap down to 59 points.

In response to whether he felt let down by missing the chance to extend his championship lead over Norris, Verstappen said: "Yes, but it can also be seen from another perspective.

"I believe they had the potential to perform better, didn't they? But, it's the situation we're in."

He mentioned, "Likely a good outcome for me. Naturally, I would have preferred to widen the lead. However, given how our race went today, I'm still pleased it was limited to that."

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