Verstappen says Red Bull must improve after lonely Barcelona race

Max Verstappen has stated that Red Bull "need to work harder" following a challenging Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix where he finished fourth. The reigning champion described his race as "lonely" due to a lack of pace compared to the front-runners, finishing nearly 17 seconds behind third place.

Verstappen noted that the car struggled with pace on all tyre compounds throughout the weekend. "On every [tyre] compound we couldn’t follow, so every stint we lost a few seconds," he commented. While satisfied with the team's strategy, he emphasized the need for car improvements.

Looking ahead, Verstappen highlighted specific areas for development, including the car's performance on high-energy tracks and tyre management. Meanwhile, his teammate Isack Hadjar recovered to sixth place after a difficult start caused him to drop down the order early in the race. Hadjar expressed significant frustration with the team's launch procedures, calling it a recurring issue that hinders their potential.