Max Verstappen said he knows “for sure” that things “in the background” in Formula 1 this season meant Red Bull had “no chance at all in certain races”.

Red Bull suffered a performance dip in the middle of the season relative to their rivals, with McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes all picking up race victories while Verstappen looked to maximise his results with his RB20.

Max Verstappen makes veiled F1 2024 rival rule break claim

A technical directive was issued in Spa to closer monitor wing flexing after it was believed teams were making the most of the flexibility of their car’s front wings to add downforce.

Elsewhere, there was controversy mid-season surrounding McLaren’s so-called ‘mini DRS’ system in Baku, which saw the rear wing flap appear to flex at high speed while the DRS slot gap was closed.

While such a system was found to be in compliance with the 2024 regulations, the wording in the FIA’s technical regulations has been tightened up for next season to make sure such a system cannot be exploited beyond legality.

Verstappen, though, appears to remain unsure that all parts on all cars were legal at times in 2024, hinting at “background” actions that halted Red Bull’s charge after a dominant start to the season.

“Things happened in the background that meant we had no chance at all in certain races. I know that for sure, but no one will ever admit that,” Verstappen said to Dutch publication De Telegraaf.

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Given that drop-off in performance and with their rivals having caught up, the now-four-time World Champion added that, if Red Bull stay on their current trajectory, he will not add a fifth consecutive crown in 2025.

He highlighted what needs to improve on the RB21 to stay competitive, with the 2025 season set to be highly competitive between multiple teams, based on the end of 2024 and the regulations remaining stable.

“If we continue like this, I won’t be champion next year. It’s as simple as that,” Verstappen stated.

“We really need to make steps to be competitive next season. We all know that.

“I trust the team can fix the balance problems from last season, and certain things we couldn’t adjust last year will be changed for next year.

“We know we need to be better over the kerbs, bumps and in the slow corners. Those are generally our weak points. If we are still beaten then, it will be on the basis of pure speed.”

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