Source: REUTERS/HAMAD I MOHAMMED
[Saba Sports News] When Max Verstappen’s car made an exaggerated drift trajectory in the second practice session in Bahrain, the F1 world champion admitted Red Bull’s predicament – the balance is not bad, but the speed just can’t go up. Verstappen revealed that the team has tried different tuning methods, but the gap with the leading drivers is still outrageously large. What’s more worrying is that Red Bull is also struggling in long-distance testing, and the Dutchman even joked that he has been training in drifting. Technical data shows that the RB21 car exposed mechanical grip defects in the high-temperature environment of the Bahrain International Circuit, which is a stark contrast to its strong performance in the low-temperature Suzuka Circuit. Red Bull technical consultant Helmut Marko revealed that the team adjusted the chassis settings of young driver Ayumu Iwasa during the first practice test overnight, but Verstappen spent two full laps to regain his feeling, hinting that the tuning has reached the ceiling. Red Bull’s technical team is facing a dilemma – whether to continue to bet on the current design concept or to imitate McLaren’s radical aerodynamic scheme?