Ominous signs of a post-Adrian Newey era are hitting Red Bull. The Christian Horner-led team came into Imola hoping for a resurgence after a damage limitation race in Miami. But Max Verstappen struggling to keep his RB20 on the track wasn’t a part of their plan. The 3-time champion made his unfiltered frustration known over the team radio and after the practice sessions. Consequently, F1 Champion Damon Hill has raised concerns over Red Bull losing its “comfortable advantage”.

Verstappen, who was aiming to secure a 3rd consecutive win at the 2024 Emilia Romagna GP, might just become only a Top 5 contender. The Dutchman struggled for grip around the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in both FP1 and FP2. “I guess it can’t be worse than what we had today!” he exclaimed after the gruelingly unsatisfying day. His run-in with a slow-moving Lewis Hamilton during a quick lap worsened the already ‘difficult and uncomfortable day’.

Contrastingly, Ferrari, Mercedes, and McLaren fared relatively better, with Charles Leclerc topping the timesheets in both sessions. This has made 1996 champ Damon Hill highlight the potential beginning of Red Bull’s loss of dominance. “The comfortable advantage that Max enjoyed over the last two seasons is no longer there,” Hill told Sky Sports, as quoted by FormulaPassion. “I think it’s inevitable that the others close the gap. If you have an advantage of 2 or 3 tenths over everyone, then you don’t have to push,” he added.

“Are we seeing this?” Hill further questioned. “Is Max now forced to take more out of the car than he allows because the others are nearby? Are we starting to see Red Bull’s limits and are wondering how to find something more?”

Christian Horner & Co. will have to ponder deeply over these questions to keep proving their worth. While Verstappen didn’t look like the reigning champ on track in Imola, team advisor Helmut Marko had a theory that helped him save face.

Helmut Marko shields Max Verstappen as Red Bull upgrades prove counterproductive

Coming into Imola, most teams, except VCARB, have equipped their cars with upgrade packages. Red Bull’s upgrades, however, seem to be causing more trouble than before. Though Max Verstappen has never struggled with the Milton Keynes outfit’s developments, however steep they were, this story’s a bit different. And Helmut Marko believes that it is the uncoordinated nature of the package that is troubling him.

“It may be that the problem has to do with the upgrades and the individual components don’t really harmonize,” Marko said, as quoted by Motorsport-Magazin. “The rear is uncontrollable for Max. If a Verstappen can’t control that, then that means something. In the second practice session, the car completely slipped out of the window.”

The Dutchman will get one final chance to get accustomed to the new setup before qualifying. Will he be able to prove why he is F1’s most dominant champion ever? Or will Ferrari take their second win of 2024 in their first home race?