Red Bull Racing Cautious Ahead of Canadian Grand Prix Amid Concerns Over Car’s Weakness
Red Bull Racing is exercising caution as it heads into the Canadian Grand Prix, wary of a repeat of the struggles it faced in Monaco. Although Ferrari and McLaren have closed the gap, Max Verstappen secured second place in Miami and a win at Imola, demonstrating Red Bull’s resilience. However, the Austrian squad faltered in Monaco, with Verstappen lamenting the RB20’s inability to absorb bumps and kerbs as its rivals’ cars could.
Comparing Red Bull’s woes to Singapore last term, Verstappen notes that the side still hasn’t grasped the problem. The reigning champion believes a return to conventional tracks will benefit Red Bull, but admits there will be more venues that expose its weakness. When asked if he anticipated more issues in the coming races, Verstappen replied, “> I mean Spain has no bumps, so that’s probably better for us. But some tracks with bumps where you have to ride kerbs, there are definitely a few tracks not ideal for us, but also probably some races suit our car more. We know where we have to work on. There’s one clear direction where we are still lacking quite a bit of performance, and if we can fix that, our car can be better on every single track.”
As the WEC 2023 season unfolds, Red Bull’s vulnerabilities may resurface at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, a track where a compliant car is crucial for lap time. Team Principal Christian Horner has been cautious in his assessment, citing the track’s resurfacing over the last 12 months. “> I mean, it’s a track that we’ve performed well at previously,” Horner previewed. “They’ve resurfaced the whole circuit again, so let’s see. But, you know, Ferrari, McLaren, they’re quick. It was always going to happen that there was going to be convergence.”
Pressed on Red Bull’s Canada chances, Horner added, “> It’s Monaco, of course, but it’s got that high-speed element as well. It’s very much traction. Historically, it was there, but with the new surface, you don’t know what the balance is going to swing to.” As the FIA WEC calendar 2023 rolls on, Red Bull will be looking to apply the lessons learned from Monaco to the next race, eager to maintain its lead in both championships.
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