This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed.
AIPROPX ReportYahoo Sports · 1h ago
Verstappen must be patient: 'Red Bull will be back within a year
Gerhard Berger is impressed by the way Red Bull Racing has developed since taking responsibility for its own engine. According to the ex-driver, it’s only logical that teething problems occur in the first year, but he expects Red Bull to be able to fight at the front again in the foreseeable future.
Red Bull is experiencing a mixed season. The Austrian team no longer has the dominant car of recent years and has also faced multiple reliability issues. Still, Berger sees many reasons to be optimistic about the team’s future.
While the media focuses heavily on the sometimes difficult results and the necessary technical problems, Berger mainly sees how remarkable it is that Red Bull has immediately managed to deliver a competitive power unit. The team developed a Formula 1 engine entirely in-house for the first time and has to compete with manufacturers that have decades of experience.
“When I look at Red Bull, I see that they’ve built a completely new engine. Of course they’ve brought in people from other manufacturers, but to take on the experience of Mercedes and Ferrari and be competitive in the very first year with their own engine—I actually find that incredibly impressive,” the ex-driver told F1 .com.
According to Berger, people underestimate how difficult it is to build a new engine project from scratch. The fact that problems arise along the way is, in his view, simply part of such an ambitious undertaking. Berger acknowledges that these kinds of issues are painful, but he still puts them into perspective.
“That they have some reliability problems at the moment is, of course, not pleasant, especially when it comes to components like the wing. But the other teams are also dealing with reliability issues.”
The Austrian therefore believes it’s too early to draw firm conclusions about Red Bull’s project. He expects reliability to improve quickly as the team gains more experience.
Berger is a big fan of Verstappen
The former Ferrari and McLaren driver makes no secret of his admiration for Max Verstappen . According to Berger, the four-time world champion remains the most important factor within Red Bull’s project. “I’m a fan of Max. I think he’s an exceptional driver.”
Berger believes Verstappen would be wise to maintain his trust in the team. He thinks the Dutchman can play a key role in Red Bull’s rebuild, especially now that the team is facing one of the biggest technical challenges in its history. “If Max continues to work calmly with the team and they bring a few more good people on board, then I expect that in six to twelve months they will be very, very competitive again,” said the Austrian.
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.
