Verstappen predicts 'rollercoaster' title fight after recent Red Bull slump

Max Verstappen is anticipating a more closely contested Formula 1 title battle this year after Red Bull was defeated once again in Monaco.

The Milton Keynes-based outfit enjoyed a highly dominant 2023 campaign, winning all but one race en route to double world championship success.

However, it has already been defeated three times in the opening eight races, including at last weekend's Monaco Grand Prix.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc drove to victory on home soil while Verstappen managed sixth on the road - his worst on-track result since the 2022 race in Singapore.

The gap between the two now reads 31 points in Verstappen's favour.

When asked by RacingNews365 if he is expecting more of a rollercoaster season regarding the championship, Verstappen replied: “Yeah for sure. The cars are a lot closer.

“Some cars are better on street circuits, some work better in fast corners, low speed corners. It will swing a bit.”

Not thinking about championship

Red Bull's sole defeat last year came in Singapore when Carlos Sainz triumphed for Ferrari.

The Spaniard came out on top in Australia earlier this season before McLaren's Lando Norris and Leclerc won in Miami and Monaco respectively.

Although Red Bull's advantage has been slashed, Verstappen asserted he is not thinking about the championship picture.

“I knew that it was never going to be like last year, to have a season like that is quite rare,” he said. 

“So I always knew that this year was going to be a little bit different. 

“But also I don't really think about championship position or whatever. There are so many races left. 

“Some races are a bit better for us, some are probably a bit worse for us. And at the end of the day, it all works out.”