2021 Red Bull Racing F1 Team

[Ryar]

I doubt very much that the rear tires have anything to do with a lack of Front Wing DF. The only thing I can think of is that the rear tires are better, allowing everyone to run more rear DF, hence, more over all DF. Except RBR can't generate the needed DF at the front to make use of it.

Either way I can't see how that's Pirelli's problem. They just made a tire that lasts longer. Many of the cars that struggled on rear limited tracks don't struggle as much any more.

Isn't that was the same explanation given in 2018 also? I am sure it's not Pirelli's problem either that the downforce was cut by 10% this year.

I'm not sure where you're going with all that. You trying to say Pirelli are in it to Help Merc Win?

The 10% drop was to try and keep the same tires before whole new tires in 2022(which were really gonna be used in 2021) but because of covid got pushed back. The way 10% drop was applied was what got Ferrari to drop their pursuit of AMR in Copy gate. I have my suspicions that when Ferrari saw that they backed off, It acknowledging that the regulation change was , kind of, targeting AMR. Lower rake cars would have a harder time adjusting to that change. Inadvertently, Merc got caught up in that, being the only other low rake car. When you actually design a car you're more likely to know how to resolve such an issue. Which is what happened. Personally I believed that Merc deserved a penalty, AMR didn't act alone. Anyways you could make an argument that the reg change helped RBR close the gap.

This is not about, who the regulations helped. It was about why they landed up in that situation. Pirelli failed to deliver on the asks with regards to 2020 tyres. Teams flatly refused to use 2020 tyres and they had to use 2019 tyres in 2020. If they would have done a good job of building 2020 tyres and build 2021 tyres on top of that, teams wouldn't have required to cut downforce. Whether the downforce cut helped bring to field closer is a different matter altogether. Poor quality is synomynous with Pirelli. That's the point and to wash their a**, they fix the tyres in the middle of season, throwing one or more teams off balance. It's a strange "coincidence" that it always help Mercedes.

[Curbstone]

Had Verstappen stayed with Gasly he could have finished higher up. Doubt crept into the mind and threw a wrench in the plan. Had Verstappen ran his own race instead of reacting to Hamilton he could have salvaged a better result.

There's an important lesson here, and now Verstappen has a chance to learn long term strategy, how to deal better with inadvertent BoP. The mind is a powerful tool for reflection, had he been a bit more patient he could have moved up the order with an overcut like Perez did in Monaco. Perhaps salvaged a few more points. It's frustrating, but that energy from the frustration is not in vain. Incidents like these are good for long term memory formation which will only help in the future....

At first I also thought they compromised their strategy by responding to Lewis' his early stop. Its a bit difficult to say but the few laps few laps he had in clean air in that first stint weren't really spectacular, so I doubt he would have have much pace left. Gasly seemed a lot quicker and I don't think Max and Gasly would have ended up in a higher position, though maybe Gasly wouldn't have gotten passed Max. Also tire wear must had been compromised with such an unbalanced car, so I doubt going long in the first (or any) stint would have been a good choice.

[godlameroso]

Difficult to say eh?

[Curbstone]

I do not quite understand what you mean, is something unclear in my post?

[basti313]

Both Helmut Marko and Christian Horner have indicated that Max his Hungary's engine is also defective and that Max will probably start with a grid penalty at Spa.
They seem to have said this yesterday on Servus TV. Has anyone here seen this and can anyone confirm it?

Horner said on SKY that Verstappens engine was fine, it only ran hot for 1 lap.

One or more Dutch F1 sites reported Horner was mentioning Max's PU was also screwed. But, in the race thread someone pointed out this was likely a translation/copy-paste error by said sites. Which seems plausible, the shunt wasn't that big. Anyway, I guess we'll see in the coming weeks what the status really is.

No, this was clarified today.
Per engine nr. 2 seems to be gone according to the values they saw. This engine is on the way to Honda.
Ves engine nr. 2 was leaking oil through cracks. Also on the way to Honda, most likely fatal as well.

If you look at the replacements, each PU is planned to do 7-8 races. The first one is at its end, both second engines did only 4 races. If both are fatal, Nr. 3 would have to do impossible 11 races.

[Jolle]

Horner said on SKY that Verstappens engine was fine, it only ran hot for 1 lap.

One or more Dutch F1 sites reported Horner was mentioning Max's PU was also screwed. But, in the race thread someone pointed out this was likely a translation/copy-paste error by said sites. Which seems plausible, the shunt wasn't that big. Anyway, I guess we'll see in the coming weeks what the status really is.

No, this was clarified today.
Per engine nr. 2 seems to be gone according to the values they saw. This engine is on the way to Honda.
Ves engine nr. 2 was leaking oil through cracks. Also on the way to Honda, most likely fatal as well.

If you look at the replacements, each PU is planned to do 7-8 races. The first one is at its end, both second engines did only 4 races. If both are fatal, Nr. 3 would have to do impossible 11 races.

They can do two things now, take a penalty at a track where it hurts the least or take a gamble and possibly take it at a later race with a Q1 crash or another oddity.

[godlameroso]

I do not quite understand what you mean, is something unclear in my post?

Just thought it was amusing when you said "it's hard to say" then proceeded to effortlessly say a lot. Your opinion is your opinion and you are entitled to it, I have my own and will keep it to myself, I plead the 5th.

I am an optimist, and like to think that way even if it isn't 100% true. 4/5 ain't bad.

[Marti_EF3]

I'd take another PU as soon as possible, and run it harder. Given the position they are due to bad luck and incidents, they've nothing to lose, and everything to win. Epic win or Epic defeat, but don't play games and don't be conservative. They've the car to do it this year. Push hard NOW!

[LaplacesDemon]

I'd take another PU as soon as possible, and run it harder. Given the position they are due to bad luck and incidents, they've nothing to lose, and everything to win. Epic win or Epic defeat, but don't play games and don't be conservative. They've the car to do it this year. Push hard NOW!

I don't agree.
It's neck in neck, why take risks?
They need to keep a cool head, figure out when and how to best take the engine penalties and minimize the chance of another DNF.

It's all still to play for.

[Ryar]

I'd take another PU as soon as possible, and run it harder. Given the position they are due to bad luck and incidents, they've nothing to lose, and everything to win. Epic win or Epic defeat, but don't play games and don't be conservative. They've the car to do it this year. Push hard NOW!

I don't agree.
It's neck in neck, why take risks?
They need to keep a cool head, figure out when and how to best take the engine penalties and minimize the chance of another DNF.

It's all still to play for.

True, provided there isn't another brain fade moment from one of the Mercedes.

[Marti_EF3]

I'd take another PU as soon as possible, and run it harder. Given the position they are due to bad luck and incidents, they've nothing to lose, and everything to win. Epic win or Epic defeat, but don't play games and don't be conservative. They've the car to do it this year. Push hard NOW!

I don't agree.
It's neck in neck, why take risks?
They need to keep a cool head, figure out when and how to best take the engine penalties and minimize the chance of another DNF.

It's all still to play for.

You think so with the upgraded Merc and it's better understanding of the tires right now? Later it may be too late, a decision should be taken after Spa depending on the result imho

[GOAT]

Some serious damage..
Incredible he managed to keep it on the track and finish the race in the points

[Jolle]

It is but a scratch

[godlameroso]

Things will ebb and flow throughout the season, the Mercedes is still not faster than the Red Bull.

The long runs had Perez splitting the Mercedes, which means Verstappen would have had the edge in the race. It's back to being close, and Bottas's maneuver ensured that RBR will have a hard time putting on more performance on their car. I have a feeling Mercedes will also have to deal with an engine penalty, law of averages.

[Alexf1]

Things will ebb and flow throughout the season, the Mercedes is still not faster than the Red Bull.

The long runs had Perez splitting the Mercedes, which means Verstappen would have had the edge in the race. It's back to being close, and Bottas's maneuver ensured that RBR will have a hard time putting on more performance on their car. I have a feeling Mercedes will also have to deal with an engine penalty, law of averages.

Agree, why else change engine in Baku.