Max Verstappen’s unheard Monaco Grand Prix team radio revealed one ‘limited’ issue with Red Bull’s 2025 F1 car

Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen will start the Monaco Grand Prix from the second row of the grid.

Throughout the weekend, Max Verstappen has looked slightly off the pace of both McLaren drivers and surprisingly the Ferrari drivers as well.

However, that isn’t typically an issue for the Red Bull driver who has proved time and again that his natural ability makes him a threat regardless of the deficit he has to his rivals.

It’s why he’s still within a victory of drivers’ championship leader Oscar Piastri after seven rounds, and with a technical directive on the horizon at the Spanish Grand Prix which could impact McLaren, a fifth consecutive title can’t be ruled out.

For the second year in a row, Verstappen is going to have his work cut out on a circuit where overtaking is virtually impossible as he’ll start fourth.

Damon Hill called for the FIA to make changes in Monaco after a dangerous Verstappen moment in free practice, and he nearly collected Lewis Hamilton in qualifying after a miscommunication on the team radio for the Ferrari driver.

While the 27-year-old was frustrated with the seven-time world champion at the time, his team radio revealed a problem he had with his Red Bull that team principal Christian Horner will be keen to rectify.

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Max Verstappen’s unheard team radio reveals Red Bull mechanical grip issue

Verstappen’s quickest time in the final period of qualifying was 1:10.669 which was more than seven-tenths slower than Norris’ lap record.

That’s the biggest deficit he’s had to the McLarens this season and less than three-tenths quicker than Isack Hadjar in the sister Racing Bulls car.

On his team radio during the session, Verstappen made his feelings clear about the RB21 and said: “It’s just T1 again! This corner [is] like.. The front right is not there, and eugh.. the rest…

“I mean, it’s just trying to find the limits mate, I’m limited with the mechanical grip.”

Verstappen has produced some incredible performances in qualifying over the years in Monte Carlo, but pole position was simply out of reach on Saturday for the 27-year-old.

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Max Verstappen explains what went wrong for Red Bull during Monaco Grand Prix qualifying

Verstappen was interviewed by Sky Sports F1 (24/5 5:12 pm) after the session and was asked where the car was lacking in qualifying and he answered: “Mainly in the middle sector.

“Through the low speed, mechanical corners, we just didn’t have it. I couldn’t find more lap time compared to practice really and yeah, every time I had to ride a kerb or drop a wheel in a cambered corner, it just didn’t grip up and that has been our issue.

“So, as soon as we went out in qualifying and I saw the lap time progression, I knew that we were not in that fight.”

Verstappen was then asked if that was a surprise and he continued: “Not really. I know that our car is not very good at low speeds anyway and I think this year already in qualifying, it’s always been very close between a lot of cars and if naturally, you are lacking a bit of feeling and balance in those low-speed corners, then it’s not happening.”

On the incident where Hamilton was ultimately penalised for impeding Verstappen during Q1, the Dutchman explained: “Yeah, I mean, of course at the time, you see the car blocking you and when you’re there at high speed, it’s not nice.

“But then I saw immediately that the team told him that I’m driving slow when I was clearly driving fast, so, it’s not Lewis’ fault.

“I quickly chatted to Lewis already about it. It’s very simple but, of course, it can’t happen, but that’s the team’s mistake.”