F1 | Racing Bulls: problems at the start weigh on strategies

In qualifying for the home round, Racing Bulls achieved a double top 10, enhanced by the seventh place achieved by Yuki Tsunoda ahead of one of the two Mercedes. However, the race did not offer the same satisfactions, thanks to a Grand Prix that became complicated from the very first metres, i.e. from the start.

Both drivers were not the authors of a particularly convincing sprint when the traffic lights went out, immediately losing several positions which effectively compromised the progress of the race on a strategic level. Tsunoda, who started from an excellent seventh place, slipped not only behind Lewis Hamilton, but also behind Nico Hulkenberg, one of his direct opponents for the top ten.

However, the Japanese was not the only one to slip back in the standings, because Daniel Ricciardo also immediately lost two positions, both on the German of Haas but also on Sergio Perez with Red Bull.

A problem related to tire preparation

Speaking after the race about the starting difficulties, both Racing Bulls drivers stressed that, at least from their perspective, there did not appear to be a problem in the procedure or in the release of the clutch. The alleged problem would be more linked to the preparation of the tyres, which then did not provide the right grip when sprinting from their own box.

“This is an issue that concerns our team. We have and are working hard on the starts during the races held so far. We have made some progress, but we definitely need a step forward, because I would say we don’t have consistency in the starts,” Tsunoda said.

“I thought it was something related to tire preparation. We have worked a lot on this aspect, but it is not enough. Clearly then there is also a question of consistency on the part of the clutch. Red Bull has the same engine as us, but they manage to make great starts consistently. There is definitely something that we are missing or that we need to improve.”

The topic raised by the Japanese is particularly interesting, especially in relation to Red Bull, which has the same Power Unit and other components that Racing Bulls purchases from the parent company. Based on the readings of the asphalt temperatures, which were higher than expected, during the formation lap the Milton Keynes team changed the procedures compared to the initial forecasts, giving new indications to Max Verstappen on the number of burnouts to be carried out to bring the tires in an ideal window for the start shot. It is precisely from these elements that we can understand how thorough and effective the Anglo-Austrian team is, which in the last two years has worked hard to improve its starts and found a certain consistency.

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

The other Racing Bulls representative, Ricciardo, also confirmed that it could be a problem linked more to tire preparation: “I didn’t have the impression of having made a mistake at the start, it seemed to me that everything was going according to the procedures. We need to take a look. It’s a very delicate phase, it’s something we’re working on. I remember that the tires were spinning, so I think it’s the second phase of the start,” added the Australian, who referred more to the second phase of the start than to the clutch release.

The departure compromised the strategy

Although realistically both Hamilton and Perez were out of reach over the long distance unless in particular episodes, given a difference in pace that is still evident, on the other hand, having slipped immediately behind Hulkenberg complicated the race from a strategic point of view.

In fact, in less than ten laps, Hulkenberg had a gap of around five seconds from the Briton from Mercedes, in a window where Racing Bulls potentially could have entered with both drivers if he had not lost positions at the start. This triggered a chain effect: behind them, both Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon stopped to make their first pit stops and Ricciardo, who had a lead of just three seconds, had to respond after a few laps, in order to avoid the risk of suffering an undercut on a track where track position plays a key role.

Likewise, on the immediately following lap, Racing Bulls also called Yuki Tsunoda back to the pits to attempt an undercut on Hulkenberg. Although this actually worked, both in the case of the Japanese and the Australian, this early stop had two consequences: firstly, finding oneself in the traffic of those who had opted for a longer first part of the race and, secondly, the need to do a stint of almost 50 laps on the hard. A feat that is certainly not impossible, given the fairly limited degradation found in Imola and the characteristics of the track, but this still represents an aspect that made itself felt over the long distance compared to those who opted for a more optimized strategy.

Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

The main example is that of Lance Stroll who, despite starting from thirteenth position, with the Aston Martin managed to recover to ninth place, overtaking Tsunoda at the end. The Canadian driver opted for an alternative tactic, constantly extending the first stint on the medium, until he had a favorable delta in terms of tire life on the hard around 25 laps, which then allowed him to move up the rankings by overtaking several opponents.

“With a perfect race, I probably could have finished in a better position, at least ninth. Certainly the start, which made me lose two positions, damaged my race, but I still managed to finish in the points, also because it wasn’t easy to manage the tyres”, explained Tsunoda, underlining how complex it was to manage the hard for so many laps, even finding themselves in traffic.

At the end, Daniel Ricciardo was also overtaken by Kevin Magnussen who, similarly to Stroll, had opted for an alternative strategy, extending the first stint. “I think in the laps we did in free air we had a good pace, we had a tenth or two more than Hulkenberg. So I think they would have been very different if we had started better,” added the Australian.

“I didn’t feel particularly comfortable on the hard. As soon as I came out of the garage, I didn’t feel like I had a great peak in terms of grip from those tyres. The balance wasn’t optimal, but I think we had better pace than our rivals.”