The last two weeks have not been easy for the team Red Bull. The Milton Keynes team, after a close brace in Mexico and the extension of Max Verstappen to +19 in the world championship standings over Lewis Hamilton, has in fact suffered two consecutive setbacks in Brazil and Qatar. The British driver’s two victories have reduced the lengths between the two contenders to eight, with two GPs still to go. If, however, Mercedes’ superiority at Interlagos was almost embarrassing, with Hamilton able to win after being forced to start in last position in Saturday’s Sprint Race, in Losail the gap between the two cars was smaller.
Mercedes’ choice to race with an ‘old’ engine certainly had an impact and the prospect that the power unit introduced in Brazil will be reused for the last two races cannot but worry the Austrian team. However, some positive signs from the desert race seem to have emerged. Interviewed by Sky Sports F1 also the Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, underlined how Verstappen has shown that he has a competitive car in his hands. “P.I believe that the recovery of Max [e] his first rounds were amazing – said the English manager – Mercedes had a faster car than us with Lewis, but we were able to get a little closer to them in the second and third stints. The car started to come to life. Max’s first turns were sensational“.
The Red Bull boss also highlighted where his team still has to work: “There is only one curve in which they [Mercedes] they were faster. It’s Turn 6. They were making two tenths of a second there every lap and it’s a pretty simple turn. So we have some homework to do, to understand why we wasted time in that corner. But our speed on the straight was competitive. It was quite in line, this was nice to see “. Another positive indicator for Horner was represented by the first of the two fastest laps signed by Verstappen at the end of the race, on medium tires. “I think the fact that Max was able to get the fastest lap before putting on that set of soft tires was very encouraging.“, He concluded.
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