Max Verstappen has responded to speculation regarding asymmetric braking and criticisms made by McLaren CEO Zak Brown.
Verstappen expressed surprise at the rumors circulating over the summer that Red Bull was using asymmetric braking. He addressed rival Formula 1 team principals who he believes are trying to stir controversy. After a strong start to 2024, Red Bull lost its dominance by the time of the Miami Grand Prix in May when McLaren introduced a significant update package.
As McLaren transformed its car into a race-winning machine, it became evident that Red Bull had taken a wrong development path with its RB20 car, negatively impacting the team’s performance.
Red Bull struggled to respond to the initial decline in competitiveness, with Verstappen last winning at the Spanish Grand Prix in June. The team has only recently begun addressing the car’s handling issues in the latest races.
Speculation about the source of Red Bull’s drop in form intensified over the summer, coinciding with the FIA tightening its regulations on asymmetric braking. They effectively closed a loophole for the 2026 regulations and retroactively applied new statements to this year’s rulebook.
The FIA also confirmed that the rule change was not due to any team using a system prohibited by the new regulations. However, this did not quell speculation that Red Bull had to abandon a solution it was using on the RB20.
In an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com/Autosport, Verstappen addressed all the happenings and the criticisms directed at his world champion team with a hint of humor.
Verstappen stated, “People always come up with different things. I find it really strange how they make up certain things, but that’s how it is. It’s part of the game; I usually ignore it. I’ve been in F1 for 10 years, and I don’t waste my time on these kinds of stories. I hardly read anything about F1. Of course, I see some things sometimes, or someone else might say, ‘Did you see what so-and-so said?’ But I always say that people can think whatever they want; I don’t expend my energy on that. So, I really don’t care what others say.”
Red Bull has faced criticism from rival teams due to its performance decline and off-track power struggles, leading McLaren CEO Zak Brown to claim that Red Bull has been “destabilized.” Brown later described the team as operating in a “pretty toxic” environment.
When the topic was brought up again, Verstappen remarked, “People who say all sorts of things should just focus on their own teams. By the way, this is not particularly aimed at Zak Brown; it’s true for everyone. People should just focus on themselves, which is what I do.”
The rivalry between Red Bull and McLaren intensified on the track, especially after McLaren overtook Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship, Lando Norris challenged Verstappen for the Drivers’ Championship, and the two collided in Austria. However, the Dutch driver does not expect the situation to escalate like it did during his championship battle with Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes in 2021.
Verstappen explained, “Yes, because right now, we still have four teams at the front, whereas back then, there were only two people at the top. Of course, 2021 was my first world championship, so it was already very different. I think I’m a bit more relaxed about it now.”
“I certainly want to win, and of course, I will do everything I can to maintain this 52-point lead. But that feeling is very different from 2021.”
