Marko BLAMES key factor on Verstappen struggles as Red Bull star falters

Senior Red Bull figure has pinpointed the cause of Max Verstappen's struggles at the Belgian Grand Prix which saw his current run of poor form extended.

After a strong start to the season, with five wins in the first seven grands prix, the three-time world champion has faltered in recent weeks.

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In the last four grands prix, for example, Verstappen is winless, and to compile his misery further, he has finished on the podium just once in those races, highlighting his remarkable downturn in performance.

A big part of this slump, of course, has been that the once-dominant Red Bull have been reined in by some of their rivals, with McLaren and Mercedes now quick enough to challenge Verstappen for race victories.

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Max Verstappen's struggles explained

Last time out at the Belgian Grand Prix, Verstappen qualified fastest, but was forced to start 11th on the grid after being hit with an engine penalty.

Although the three-time world champion drove a solid race, he could only recover to P5, although he was eventually promoted to P4 after George Russell’s disqualification.

Speaking in his Speedweek.com column, Marko believes Verstappen could have ended his win drought had he started on pole at Spa, pointing to a key reason for reigning champion failing to make his way through the field.

"Max Verstappen managed to finish in fifth place in Spa after his grid penalty and then moved up to fourth place after George Russell was disqualified," Marko wrote.

"If he had started from pole position, which he achieved the day before, a win would have been possible. But since he had to start the race from 11th place, that was difficult, because you could see how difficult overtaking was in Belgium.

"It wasn't just the shortened DRS zone, it's the current cars that generate so much downforce that it's incredibly difficult to follow.

"The front tyres overheat and you either manage to overtake in the shortest time possible or you don't, as we saw with Lando Norris."

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