Beyond the brake issue that forced Max Verstappen to retire for the first time after 43 GPs, the reigning world champion team must analyze why the RB20 seemed less competitive on the surface of Albert Park, giving the impression of adapting less compared to Ferrari, manifesting issues seen in Las Vegas last year.
After forty-three races, Max Verstappen hasn’t seen the checkered flag. The last time was two years ago, also in Melbourne, followed by a long streak with 35 victories and two world titles. In this scenario, a halt makes more news than yet another victory.
Two aspects made Red Bull’s Sunday special (in a negative sense): the technical failure that sidelined Max Verstappen after 4 laps, and the realization that it wouldn’t have been an easy race for the Ducthman regardless. The RB20 in Melbourne didn’t perform to the standards seen in Bahrain and Jeddah; Friday’s pace didn’t match Ferrari and McLaren, though similar instances occurred before where overnight work at Milton Keynes’ simulator rectified matters.
The qualifying result partly pleased Red Bull’s technicians: data analysis revealed Max Verstappen’s commendable effort, prompting engineers to once again adjust the aerodynamic load before the race (using only parts allowed by regulations), asking the Dutchman to complete four laps before settling on the grid to assess the car’s behavior. “He reported being satisfied with the car’s balance,” confirmed Christian Horner. However, the brake caliper issue prevented a definitive outcome.
Even for Sergio Perez, not everything went smoothly. In the first stint, Checo’s pace wasn’t exceptional, partly due to traffic resulting from an unfortunate start that saw him slip behind George Russell’s Mercedes.
When Sergio Perez switched from mediums to hards, he picked up pace, matching Carlos Sainz’s lap times, but while battling with Fernando Alonso, two tear-off visors from Fernando’s car got lodged under the bottom of Perez’s car. “It was really unlucky,” explained Christian Horner, “because the visors got stuck in an area causing a significant loss of downforce, around 20 points. It’s clear how after overtaking Fernando, the car wasn’t as effective as before, and tire degradation intensified. Ultimately, we never got to see if the issues from Friday were resolved or not. Max had a good start and immediately pulled away from the DRS zone compared to Carlos Sainz, but then we know how it went.”
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“That being said,” Christian Horner continued, “Ferrari was very fast this weekend; they deserved the win, and Carlos drove a great race. On a track with very particular characteristics, they managed graining very well, but I remain convinced that we would have put up a defense in the race; I just regret not being able to have the confirmation we awaited.” – he admitted.
The RB20 is destined to remain the benchmark car for a while longer, but the Melbourne weekend highlighted some minor issues. “When we race on tracks with graining, Ferrari proves to be very strong,” explained Horner. “It happened already in Las Vegas last year, and it’s confirmed again this weekend. We know it’s an area where we need to improve.”
Last year, Red Bull arrived at Suzuka after the setback in Singapore; now, they’ll arrive after the setback in Melbourne. “Yes, again Sainz,” Christian Horner recalled with a smile. “Carlos is the only driver who has beaten Red Bull lately, but I think Max will arrive in Japan sufficiently charged. Suzuka is a fantastic track where we’ve always performed well. It’s Honda’s home circuit, and the drivers love racing there. So, we’re looking forward to getting back on track.” The only good news of the day for Red Bull came from Honda; the power unit removed from Verstappen’s car on Friday night will be salvaged.
