Helmut Marko: Verstappen finds key weakness in Red Bull’s car.

Max Verstappen's keen observations during the Italian Grand Prix weekend may have provided Red Bull with the key to unlocking their recent performance struggles, as the team grapples with an uncharacteristic dip in form.

Red Bull's dominance hit a snag at Monza, recording their worst two-car points haul of the season.

The team's struggles were evident as Verstappen qualified a distant seventh, nearly seven-tenths off the pace set by McLaren's Lando Norris.

The reigning world champion could only salvage a sixth-place finish in the race, while teammate Sergio Perez fared even worse.

Balancing act gone awry

At the heart of Red Bull's issues lies a fundamental imbalance in the RB20, as revealed by team advisor Helmut Marko.

"Max cannot use his ability to push to the limit because the car does not allow it, as it reacts too unpredictably,"

Marko explained to Sky Deutschland. This unpredictability has severely hampered the team's ability to extract maximum performance from their package.

The Austrian went on to elaborate on the complexity of their current predicament.

"There are so many factors that cause us problems. At some point with the upgrades, we lost the balance and with the balance also the ability to move the car quickly."

Verstappen's crucial discovery

However, amidst the gloom, a ray of hope emerged during the Monza weekend.

In a separate interview with De Telegraaf, Marko disclosed a pivotal moment involving Verstappen on Saturday.

"Max recognised on Saturday where the weakness of the car is,"

Marko revealed.

"Together with the engineers, a decision was made on how to improve the car and make it competitive again."

This breakthrough could prove crucial in Red Bull's efforts to regain their footing. Verstappen himself acknowledged the challenges ahead, stating,

"We have to turn it around. It's not easy to do that very quickly, and then if we can put that on the car, then it becomes more driveable."

Retracing steps for solutions

Red Bull's approach to solving their current dilemma involves a methodical retracing of their development steps. Marko outlined their strategy:

"What was decided is that we will go back until we find the point where we took a wrong turn. We will see how quickly that goes. We are starting with Baku and are confident."

This process of elimination could be key to identifying the specific upgrade or modification that knocked the RB20 off its delicate performance balance.

Championship implications

While Verstappen still holds a comfortable 62-point lead in the Drivers' standings, the team's struggles have allowed McLaren to close the gap significantly in the Constructors' Championship.

The Woking-based squad now sits just eight points behind Red Bull, having outscored them by 22 points in Monza.

The situation has become serious enough for Verstappen to express concern about both titles.

"At the moment,"

he admitted,

"both championships are not realistic."

As Red Bull races against time to rectify their issues, the coming races will be crucial in determining whether they can maintain their grip on both championships.

With Verstappen's insights now guiding their development direction, the team will be hoping for a swift return to their dominant ways.