The Sprint classification in Miami was not as expected Red Bull Racing. Yuki Tsunoda was already eliminated in the first segment of the classification after a failed lap and subsequent traffic, while his teammate, Max Verstappen, had to settle for the fourth place.
The Dutch said after the session that the RB21 was still able to stay well in the first sector thanks to the combination of faster curves, but from there it was wasting some time per return.
In statements a Servustvthe advisor Helmut Marko also confirmed that RB21 has problems especially in the last sector.
“In sector 1 and sector 2 we are there, but we lose 0.25 seconds in that last sector,” explains the Austrian. “And as there is only one real curve, the conclusion is that we lose time especially in the lines.”
In Red Bull, the eyes were mainly put in Verstappen on Friday. After all, he is the only one of the Red Bull drivers who has a new floor this weekend. The team still does not have all the data for an adequate overview due to the lack of training under the Miami sprint format, but Marko did notice that, compared to Tsunoda, Verstappen had “less subviring.”
“There is still subviring, but it seems that it goes in the right direction,” Marko said.
Positive effect
While the performance of the Red Bull in the lines deteriorated a bit, the opposite happened with the Mercedes W16. The team has equipped the cars of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell with new engines and made the difference precisely in the final sector. Marko argues that this also contributed to the highest performance of the Italian and, therefore, to the pole sprint. “A new engine normally brings some more power. That seemed to have a positive effect here,” he observes.
As for Tsunoda’s performance, Marko is indulgent. It emphasizes that the Japanese pilot was not to blame for being eliminated from the SQ1. “He left a little late because the cars that had ahead went very slowly again. I think he lacked two or three seconds,” he refers to marking a new time back. “In terms of speed, I would have been there.”
In this article
Laurens Stade
Formula 1
Max Verstappen
Helmut Marko
Yuki Tsunoda
Red Bull Racing
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