Despite victories in succession Red Bull cannot afford a misstep like in Barcelona, In which the RB18 di Verstappen had problems with DRS, following slimming cure to which it was subjected. Monaco not enough as a yardstick because a Baku high speeds will return. Plus Red Bull wants to take off another 5 kg, which could again endanger the situation.
In Spain a hard lesson
From hell to heaven. The Spanish Grand Prix, despite the victory, it was a real drama for Max Verstappen. After an initial excursion in gravel, the Dutchman was unable to attack Russell for a good part of the race due to repeated DRS problems. Problem that had already occurred on Saturday during qualifications but that seemed to be fixed. “We can't even get DRS to work, beyond belief. I'm pressing the button 50 times, it won't open" – says a furious Max in the race. But where is the origin of the problem?
In the post Spanish GP, the Team Principal of the Red Bull Christian Horner he suggested that the nature of the problem revolved around making things too light in this part of the car. Which would have made the flexible wing potentially more susceptible to damage.
The problem was therefore caused by the same Red Bull, looking for the perfect solution for reduce the weight of the RB18, which has already undergone a series of updates of this type in particular since Imola Grand Prix. Speaking about the episode in Spain, Red Bull chief engineer, Paul Monaghan he admits his mistake. “If we are to be honest the problem with the DRS was self inflicted. I am confident but also hurt by the lessons we received in Spain. Now we have learned and we must move forward".
The last word in Baku
This problem did not occur in Monaco but in Baku, although we are also talking here about a street circuit, things could go differently given the high speeds that can be reached in the fast sections of the Azeri track. “Baku presents different challenges Monaghan says – the opening speed of the DRS in Monaco is 160 km/h, while in Azerbaijan it is 300 km/h. It's not about the weight on the wing, but the force needed to lift them against its own downforce."
The very long straight of 2,2 km in which speeds exceed 340 km/h can highlight the great qualities of the RB18 but also exacerbate its defects, which did not show up in Monaco. “I think it's silly to rest on our laurels. We know where we went wrong and our job was to fix itMonaghan concludes. In fact, the work done in the factory and the result in Monaco are not enough to close the case. The only way to do this is to put the car on the track and see how the DRS performs.
New slimming cure for Red Bull?
Red Bull is not yet fully satisfied with the results obtained and for this very reason we want to bring a further update to Milton Keynes to make the RB18 lose another 5 kilograms. Precisely those would allow the team to adapt perfectly to the ideal weight of 798 kilograms and to "unlock" the potential of Red Bull.
As reported by Motorsport.com Helmut Marko he believes this is an achievable goal. “It is a process that takes time – says the super advisor – let's say that today the positive aspect is that we will earn a few tenths when we reach the goal. I don't think that the true potential of Max and the car was seen in Monte Carlo. He would not have been able to catch up with Leclerc, but he would have been in the front row, so the margin we saw is not really representative of the values on the field".
The fight with Ferrari, and partly also Mercedes, although this is not at the level of the first two in the championship, it is mainly based on the development and search for the perfect key to extract the car's potential. "I think Ferrari is at the limit (of weight) - Marko continued. “Mercedes should be in line with our situation. The aspect that worries us is that the potential seems to be there, and once they manage to make it constant over the distance of a race, then they will be fighting for the win”.
After a dry 2-0 for Ferrari between Barcelona and Monaco now it's up to Red Bull maximize your potential and back-to-back with Baku and Canada may be the right opportunity to stretch.
"We now look optimistically to Baku and Montreal, where long straights await us on which our maximum speed will come into play. However, I don't think there will be large margins. Finding the right set-up immediately and good tire management will be essential".
All obviously net, also, of a possible return of problems at the DRS.
Statement source: Motorsport.com
