Max Verstappen says technical problems with Red Bull's team radio are "a disaster" after he struggled to communicate with his engineer for a second successive race. On his way to finishing third in Sunday's United States Grand Prix in Austin, Verstappen was trying to tell the pit wall that he was suffering from engine braking issues. When his engineer suggested a change of mode, Verstappen said he could not hear him properly.
The problem resembled one Verstappen faced two weeks earlier in Singapore, when he and the pit wall had to improvise their communication methods during his win. "It's not the second time. It's already, I don't know how many times this year," Verstappen said. "Maybe we should just start communicating in sign language. It's probably cheaper as well. It's a disaster. Yeah, it's a disaster. It's really frustrating, to be honest."
Verstappen and team-mate Isack Hadjar were also frustrated by poor starts. Verstappen was overtaken by Charles Leclerc on the opening lap, while Hadjar was passed by both Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen said the start problem was the same as always. Hadjar described poor radio coverage, a clutch that was too fragile in changing temperatures, and a "real struggle".
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies said the radio issue was "making everyone's lives very difficult" at the Milton Keynes squad. He said the team would like to fix it quickly, as it should work without using too much of their energy. Mekies also said that while Red Bull's starts are improving, they cannot become "the benchmark" before the end of this season because of ongoing issues.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing