Red Bull respond to Martin Brundle’s “not as fast as Max could go” claim

Red Bull have denied a theory from Martin Brundle that Max Verstappen intentionally drove slower last weekend at Zandvoort.

Verstappen was beaten to victory at the F1 Dutch Grand Prix by Lando Norris by an eye-opening margin of 22 seconds.

It caused Sky Sports broadcaster Brundle to speculate: “I would hazard a guess that it was not as fast as Max could go.

“He knew he couldn’t beat Lando.

“Dropping back a bit like that… it’s going to give the factory a ‘hurry up’, I’d be sure of that.”

However, Red Bull’s Helmut Marko has now had a say.

“Martin Brundle's assumption that Max was deliberately driving slowly is not true, you can't say that,” Marko told Speedweek.

“But when he saw that Lando was up and away, he didn't risk anything anymore.”

Starting at Monza this weekend, for the F1 Italian Grand Prix, Red Bull know they must hit back against McLaren’s form.

Their lead in the constructors’ championship has been cut to just 30 points, while Verstappen leads Norris by 70 points in the drivers’ standings.

Marko insisted: “We now have to bring the balance back into the car. We're working hard, but it's difficult to say exactly when and how much new stuff will be added to the car.

“We just have to find our way back, because until the race in Shanghai or Suzuka, we had a car that was superior and optimal in terms of balance.

“If we manage to do that again, the drivers' confidence will be back, the car will slip less and the tyre wear will be more moderate.

“So it's not so much about simply finding new parts. We need the predictability of the car that we had at the beginning of the season.

“It also has nothing to do with the tuning, rather something has come up with the new parts that has turned the balance into a negative.

“We'll see how it goes in Monza, I obviously expect McLaren to be strong again.

“But I hope that we can become more equal and fight for victory, because in Zandvoort you have to admit that we were outclassed.

“If things continue like this, then the championship is in danger.”

Marko added that he retains belief Red Bull can find the answers to their recent problems.

The constructors’ championship might depend on it.