F1 News: Red Bull Feeling the Pressure at Imola - 'Clearly Has Issues' Admits Technical Director

Red Bull Racing faces setup challenges with Verstappen's car at Imola.

May 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) after qualifying / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

During the Emilia Romagna GP's first practice, Red Bull's Max Verstappen showed promise despite multiple off-track incidents. Red Bull acknowledged ongoing issues with the car setup, intensifying the pressure to improve performance over the next day or so.

The 2024 Formula 1 season continues to challenge even the top teams as Red Bull faces significant hurdles with Max Verstappen's RB20 setup during the Free Practice 1 session at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Despite being the dominant force in the championship, the team's performance at Imola's famous track has highlighted ongoing struggles and emerging pressures as the likes of Ferrari and McLaren edge closer.

Throughout the session, the reigning champion encountered issues with balance and traction, resulting in several off-track moments that stopped him from reaching the top of the timesheet in FP1. Ultimately, he finished fifth, trailing behind frontrunner Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and Mercedes' George Russell.

Further complicating matters for Verstappen, the Red Bull camp is feeling the crunch as they aim for consecutive pole positions. If successful, Verstappen would match the record set by the legendary Ayrton Senna.

Technical head Pierre Waché expressed the team's urgency in addressing the setup challenges in the press conference ahead of the race weekend, broadcast by Sky Sports F1:

"Yes. I think he [Verstappen] clearly has some issues in the turn 11, 12 and 14. Something we are looking for." Waché did not mince words. "We feel pressure to put performance on the car. I think all the people here feel the pressure to put performance on the car. It would be a dream. It's a dream to think that we can sleep on it and think we can wait and win the championship like that.

"In this business, you have to go ahead. Otherwise, you go backwards. For sure, we are looking to put performance on the car. It doesn't matter if last race we win or not," Waché explained.