That of Silverstone could have been a heavy Sunday to digest, which could have cost a good part of the margin against the real rival in the title race, but Max Verstappen can thank Ferrari’s own goal today, making the wrong strategy with Charles Leclerc when the safety car entered the track, thus relegating him to fourth place.
Favored to a mistake by poleman Carlos Sainz, the Red Bull driver had taken command of operations when he suddenly slowed down, complaining over the radio of a possible puncture.
Once the tires were changed, however, he realized that the problem was actually much more serious, as the bottom of his RB18 had been damaged. The world champion, however, gritted his teeth and managed to finish the race in seventh place, thus giving only 6 points to his rival from Monaco.
Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin AMR22, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB18
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
“In reality there wasn’t a puncture. I hit a piece of debris and immediately asked the team to check the car. After a few corners I lost a lot of pace and it seemed to me that it was a puncture, because I no longer had grip and in the high corners. speed it seemed to me that the car was broken, “Verstappen said about the damage on his car.
“They fitted me with different tires, but the situation was the same. After the race, when I got out of the car, I looked at the bottom and it was totally destroyed both on the right and on the left, so I lost a lot of load, because with these cars the bottom is the part that generates the most. It was a pain, because I was struggling to find grip and make the tires work. It was really hard, “he added.
The only positive note of the day, therefore, is the ranking, with Leclerc remaining at -43: “We limited the damage. Obviously I would have liked to widen my advantage, but the season is still very long and, as we saw today, Anything can happen. We must always stay on track, hoping to be luckier in the next race. “
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