Max Verstappen said Red Bull is “throwing away two race weekends” by not having a dedicated low-drag rear wing like some of its Formula 1 rivals, as the company suffered “in the corners and on the straights” in Las Vegas.

Red Bull had no speed on the straights compared to its rivals during practice, with GPS data showing it was 7km/h behind on the straights compared to Mercedes and McLaren, leading to the focus being on adjusting the rear wing to reduce drag.

In qualifying, Verstappen’s top speed deficit shrank over the key junctions, but the Dutch driver still felt his RB20 was underperforming against its direct rivals without a dedicated low-drag rear wing – something McLaren’s main rival Lando Norris said in his arsenal has.

Verstappen, who qualified fifth and directly ahead of Norris, explained that Red Bull does not have a low-drag rear wing suitable for high-speed circuits such as Las Vegas and Monza due to the demands affected by the budget cap, but feels that it is a decision to be revised.

“We chose not to make one, we don’t have one,” Verstappen said of a Red Bull low-drag rear wing. “So this is already from 2022, I think we never thought we would keep it this low. And then with the budget ceiling you choose your priorities and we have shifted them.

“We would have liked a lower wing, a wing with less downforce, or at least a different shape, a more efficient shape.

“It’s something I’ll look into, but on the other hand, there’s only one year left with these rules, and I don’t know if it makes sense.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull RacingRB20

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

“But for me at least it feels a bit like we’re throwing away two of these kind of race weekends because you definitely lose too much on the straights.”

With the exception of his mechanical DNF in Australia, Verstappen achieved his worst result of the season at Monza in September with sixth place, and he thinks a similar result is likely in Las Vegas.

When asked where he felt he was losing time, Verstappen said: “In the corners and on the straights. We know that with our wing you naturally lose top speed, especially when the DRS is open. It’s a bit of a handicap.

“We knew that and that is something we have to deal with at a track like this, like Monza. But besides that, I always felt like the tires were a bit of a struggle to get them into the right operating window.

“I think we did the best we could in qualifying with what we had, and P5 is the result. We were a bit lucky, because Lewis had not completed a lap, otherwise it would have been P6. I think we really maximized everything we could.”

Despite his frustrations, Verstappen is on the verge of a fourth straight title, knowing that if he can keep Norris behind him, he will take the crown in Las Vegas.

But the 27-year-old has kept the situation calm at the start of the race: “Today it’s fun, but tomorrow it’s more important.”

Photos from the GP training and qualifying in Las Vegas