While, other than its in-house squabbling, Ferrari has gone from strength to strength since the summer break ended, scoring three successive wins, and so very nearly a fourth, Red Bull's challenge has somewhat fizzled out.

Seen as a shoo-in for victory in Singapore, the Austrian team, and star driver Max Verstappen, have, instead been almost reduced to the role of bit-part players, taking the meagre scraps that Mercedes and Ferrari leave on the table.

Showing no visible improvement since the summer, Jos Verstappen fears his son could face having his hopes dashed again in 2020.

"We should have been closer," he told Ziggo Sport's Peptalk, "but that is more difficult than we thought.

"It's very frustrating," he admitted. "In the last races before the summer break it went really well, but after the break we did not progress while the other teams have.

"Max cannot change that, we depend on the team, the car is a bit behind, the engine is a bit behind, more work has to be done on this combination if we want to challenge for the title next year.

"We are very concerned there won't be any improvement in the short term," he continued, "we depend on the equipment we get and at the moment it is not good enough.

"Put him in a good car and he will challenge for the world championship, but it still does not look that we will be able to challenge next year.

"The expectation was to close the gap to the competition, but at the moment it does not look like it. We have to work hard to close the gap, otherwise next year will be lost too."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by equator180, 04/10/2019 1:49

"Would love to see Max move to MB and watch the match with Hamilton but Toto I think knows how stressful it would be for him and the way things are now he doesn't have to in order to win the constructors championship, having a good wing man does the job,,,for at least one more year."

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2. Posted by @R1Racing71, 03/10/2019 13:59

"Unless one of the Ferrari or Merc drivers pulls a Rosberg, then I can't see him being anywhere else but RB. And even if Seb does get paid to stay home, a Leclerc / Max tie up is not going to be on the cards.
So unless they have heard Lewis maybe considering checking out - I suspect this is an attempt to extort some more cash out of the energy drink's coffers.

"

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3. Posted by Egalitarian, 03/10/2019 3:17

"Perhaps Red Bull might be better served by a driver with longer term experience in developing a car. Speed in the car is one thing, but having what amounts to a couple of kids in the cars doesn't help with development if they can't express this to their engineers.
@hondaunearthed - nicely cynical, but what you wrote feels right too."

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4. Posted by USA1, 03/10/2019 1:51

"It’s definitely not Max what the problem is, just look at his different team mates I think that Max takes the last bit of power out of the car, it’s great to see the reliability Honda has shown so far, I would say let’s see where they at after Mexico and if for any reason it doesn’t work out between Max and Red Bull so will it be, Max wants to become world champion and you have to be at the right team at the right time, world championship is a combination of Driver and Car, one alone couldn’t make it!"

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5. Posted by Hondaunearthed, 02/10/2019 21:13

"Timing of these comments from Jos is interesting. At a time when Ferrari have raised their game and Vettel is looking under pressure to remain in the team, old Jos comes out and basically says to Ferrari, don’t forget about my son, we are happy to leave Red Bull."

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6. Posted by *TestaRossa*, 02/10/2019 20:03

"OF COURSE no chance for the soda company against two very big auto companies making their chassis AND engine. "

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7. Posted by Burton, 02/10/2019 18:52

"world's smallest violin and all that"

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8. Posted by Spindoctor, 02/10/2019 17:14

"This is getting your excuses in a bit early is it not? PU 'parity' between the manufacturers is now getting closer, and I'd back Adrian Newey & his team to produce a strong car next year. The rest is up to Max...."

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Jos already fears for Max Verstappen's 2020 chances

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