Red Bull is banking on an upcoming upgrade package that will make its debut next weekend in Hungary.
During the recent event at Silverstone, Max Verstappen was the sole recipient of the team's latest floor design, with plans to extend this upgrade to Sergio Perez in the upcoming Hungarian GP.
However, the championship leader Verstappen has secured only two victories in the recent five grands prix, voicing his concerns to Austrian broadcaster ORF post-British GP: "We are simply too slow now and we cannot become world champions like this."
Verstappen acknowledged that the limitations imposed on wind tunnel development have negatively impacted Red Bull this season.
"But that's the way the rules are written - they try to slow down the team that's leading," Verstappen, who is currently 84 points ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris in the championship standings, was quoted by France's Auto Hebdo.
Red Bull's team principal Christian Horner has recently minimized the significance of their dwindling dominance, suggesting such a phase was inevitable under the existing regulations in their third season.
"I refuse to believe that because otherwise you become lazy," Verstappen contended. "I have full confidence in everyone at the factory.
"I know they are working hard to try to produce developments and gain performance on the car," Verstappen added. "But it is clear that there are a lot of intelligent people in other teams who are doing the same thing," he added.
Red Bull's F1 consultant, Dr. Helmut Marko, disclosed that an additional update to the 2024 car package is expected to be implemented in Hungary, which according to Auto Bild could improve lap times by 1-2 tenths.
"It has to work," Marko emphasized. "Otherwise it won't look good."
Amid the ongoing unrest at Red Bull and a potential further decline in performance, rumors persist that Verstappen has not completely dismissed a future move to Mercedes, which has clinched the previous two grand prix victories.
"He had lots of opportunities to look at the car in the race," joked Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff after Verstappen secured a second-place finish behind Lewis Hamilton at Silverstone.
Marko also mentioned to Auto Bild: "There are clauses in Max's contract that make it possible - if certain things happen - for him to leave the team at any time."
