2021 Red Bull Racing F1 Team

[e30ernest]

If anything, what triggered the stewards to start enforcing track limits at turn 4 was the RB pitwall radioing Max and telling him to intentionally do it. You would think they would have a code for that or something.

That radio call was very obviously a wink at the stewards so they would start enforcing it. So far it seems all the other drivers knew from the briefing that Turn 4 did not have track limits enforced so I'm surprised Max didn't use it too. I remember him doing that on practice so it's not like he didn't know about the advantage to be gained there.

[Kingshark]

Can someone explain why Verstappen was constantly losing time relative to Hamilton down the straight? Their speed traps in qualifying for were identical, and isn’t the same engine mode used on Sunday? Where does the disparity come from, is it deployment?

Anyway, despite the disappointing result and questionable stewarding, I am still optimistic about the season in hand.

Bahrain is one of Red Bull’s worst circuits of the hybrid era. They don’t have a single podium here from 2014-2019, so the pace we saw today is a huge positive.

Also, Bahrain is one of the biggest power circuits on the calendar. If we assume that the Red Bull is as better than the Mercedes through corners but worse down the straight, then slower circuits like Imola, Barcelona, Monaco etc... should hopefully be better.

[Type-Rem]

Can someone explain why Verstappen was constantly losing time relative to Hamilton down the straight? Their speed traps in qualifying for were identical, and isn’t the same engine mode used on Sunday? Where does the disparity come from, is it deployment?

Anyway, despite the disappointing result and questionable stewarding, I am still optimistic about the season in hand.

Bahrain is one of Red Bull’s worst circuits of the hybrid era. They don’t have a single podium here from 2014-2019, so the pace we saw today is a huge positive.

Also, Bahrain is one of the biggest power circuits on the calendar. If we assume that the Red Bull is as better than the Mercedes through corners but worse down the straight, then slower circuits like Imola, Barcelona, Monaco etc... should hopefully be better.

I think it's because of the diff problem of Max. He couldn't accelerate out of the corner the same he could during qualy and it did hurt his top speed on the straits.

[DChemTech]

Also, they changed their mind and started to give track limit warnings after Max used the same way Ham was using to gain time. That only gives the idea that only some guys are free to use it, but then if someone starts using it too, then it's not ok

A new argument could also be made:
Hamilton was going off track without intent.
RedBull told Max to do it with intent.

This is where the stewards would start to clamo down.

Anyway, it is a moot point.

The grid were instructed that turn 4 would not be monitored heavily for the race.

And overtaking off track is a cut and dry penalty if the place is not given back.

I sure thought Max would have waited till they reached on the straight to minimize the time lost as well as the tyre cooling effect. It seems he was just a bit anxious that's all. Its his first title fight he will learn very quickly what to do in this situations. He still can win the championship.

Oh come on. You may go over without intent once. Not 29 times. Whether or not intent is spoken out explicitly, it's still there.

The bigger point is that there should never be controversy about what are track limits in the first place. All this bollocks with specifying which corners will be monitored and which will not and such is just adding confusion and inconsistency. There just needs to be clarity: you stay within the lines, whether you are racing or overtaking, whether you gain an advantage or not, whether you are alone or someone is close. The only exception should be if you are pushed out by someone else, or avoiding a hazard. And sure, you can cross the line once by mistake, and you could allow it to happen once or twice with a warning (although most other sports don't) - but at least apply that to all of the track in every race and make the warning cumulative in a race - 3 strikes you're out (well, +5s), whether it was all in the same corner, or at different locations.

Quite possibly with all of that, Hamilton would still have won. Well, so be it then. 90% of the loss of Max was on RB with the strategy and diff problems. And that's fine - but the remaining 10% is on the stewards, and that is not fine at all.

[Bill]

Redbull really need to get on top of their race operation last year they were quicker than Merc in races like Turkey one of italy races 2nd race in Bahrain and yesterday its really frustrating but they didnt convert them into race victories.when vettel was racing for them he was devastatingly efficient in converting pole to victories i know most people dont think much of him.Rbr now has the best pu no more excuses merc was clipping on the straight.

[Bill]

apparently max wasnt using full power so more to come

[Wouter]

21.2 Race
a) The track limits at the exit of Turn 4 will not be monitored with regard to setting a lap time, as
the defining limits are the artificial grass and the gravel trap in that location.

>>>> b)In all cases during the race, Drivers are reminded of the provisions of Article 27.3 of the Sporting Regulations.

>>>> 27.3 Drivers must make every reasonable effort to use the track at all times and may not deliberately leave the track without a justifiable reason.Drivers will be judged to have left the track if no part of the car remains in contact with it and, for the avoidance of doubt, any white lines defining the track edges are considered to be part of the track but the kerbs are not.
Should a car leave the track the driver may re-join, however, this may only be done when it is safe to do so
and without gaining any lasting advantage. At the absolute discretion of the Race Director a driver may be given the opportunity to give back the whole of any advantage he gained by leaving the track.

Max and Lewis inT4.
Max drives how it should be and Lewis does it deliberately not, because that gives him a 0.2 sec time gain advantage each round = gaining any lasting advantage.
And I'm only talking about the gain by driving the ideal line, not even the lesser deterioration of the tire because it wears less because of the wider curve.

[ivanlesk]

21.2 Race
a) The track limits at the exit of Turn 4 will not be monitored with regard to setting a lap time, as
the defining limits are the artificial grass and the gravel trap in that location.

>>>> b)In all cases during the race, Drivers are reminded of the provisions of Article 27.3 of the Sporting Regulations.

>>>> 27.3 Drivers must make every reasonable effort to use the track at all times and may not deliberately leave the track without a justifiable reason.Drivers will be judged to have left the track if no part of the car remains in contact with it and, for the avoidance of doubt, any white lines defining the track edges are considered to be part of the track but the kerbs are not.
Should a car leave the track the driver may re-join, however, this may only be done when it is safe to do so
and without gaining any lasting advantage. At the absolute discretion of the Race Director a driver may be given the opportunity to give back the whole of any advantage he gained by leaving the track.

Max and Lewis inT4.
Max drives how it should be and Lewis does it deliberately not, because that gives him a 0.2 sec time gain advantage each round = gaining any lasting advantage.
And I'm only talking about the gain by driving the ideal line, not even the lesser deterioration of the tire because it wears less because of the wider curve.

What do you mean by "it should be"?
I most cases Max is also with ALL 4 wheels over white line. That is also illegal, isn't it?

[DChemTech]

It should be illegal, and if F1 was a sport (which should be the case) instead of an entertainment series, both would be warned and ultimately penalized.
Nevertheless, one clearly benefitted more than the other.

[Just_a_fan]

It should be illegal, and if F1 was a sport (which should be the case) instead of an entertainment series, both would be warned and ultimately penalized.
Nevertheless, one clearly benefitted more than the other.

The race director told the drivers they could drive outside of Turn 4. He specifically told them that it wouldn't be checked/penalised. That made it legal to drive where Hamilton drove. So he didn't "gain an advantage", he just drove where he was allowed to.

I think we all agree that the race director's ruling on track limits was bad. It should either be "no track limits" or "all track limits". And then the drivers know what they can do.

But no matter what the race director's ruling on Turn 4, the sporting regulations - which the race director can't change - forbid overtaking outside of the white lines. So even if the race director hadn't changed his ruling about Turn 4, the overtake would still have been illegal.

Sadly, it's another example of controversy overshadowing a great race. We want to see the guys at the front racing, and we did, but all anyone is talking about is Turn 4 track limits.

[ivanlesk]

It should be illegal, and if F1 was a sport (which should be the case) instead of an entertainment series, both would be warned and ultimately penalized.
Nevertheless, one clearly benefitted more than the other.

So what? You can't reason that Max is in right because he was using illegal part less.

[Just_a_fan]

apparently max wasnt using full power so more to come

Interesting. Do you have a source for that?

[DChemTech]

It should be illegal, and if F1 was a sport (which should be the case) instead of an entertainment series, both would be warned and ultimately penalized.
Nevertheless, one clearly benefitted more than the other.

So what? You can't reason that Max is in right because he was using illegal part less.

read again, I am not arguing that.

[DChemTech]

It should be illegal, and if F1 was a sport (which should be the case) instead of an entertainment series, both would be warned and ultimately penalized.
Nevertheless, one clearly benefitted more than the other.

The race director told the drivers they could drive outside of Turn 4. He specifically told them that it wouldn't be checked/penalised. That made it legal to drive where Hamilton drove. So he didn't "gain an advantage", he just drove where he was allowed to.

I think we all agree that the race director's ruling on track limits was bad. It should either be "no track limits" or "all track limits". And then the drivers know what they can do.

But no matter what the race director's ruling on Turn 4, the sporting regulations - which the race director can't change - forbid overtaking outside of the white lines. So even if the race director hadn't changed his ruling about Turn 4, the overtake would still have been illegal.

Sadly, it's another example of controversy overshadowing a great race. We want to see the guys at the front racing, and we did, but all anyone is talking about is Turn 4 track limits.

To that I certainly agree, although I do regard it as gaining an advantage by Hamilton - just an advantage that he was allowed to gain by race control. (and my disagreement as such is with race control, not with Hamilton)

[ivanlesk]

It should be illegal, and if F1 was a sport (which should be the case) instead of an entertainment series, both would be warned and ultimately penalized.
Nevertheless, one clearly benefitted more than the other.

So what? You can't reason that Max is in right because he was using illegal part less.

read again, I am not arguing that.

From my point of view, you are.