Formula 1 British Grand Prix: Red Bull Puzzled by McLaren’s Tyre Strategy
Red Bull Baffled by McLaren’s Tyre Choice
In the aftermath of Formula 1’s thrilling British Grand Prix, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has expressed his puzzlement over McLaren’s decision to opt for Soft tyres instead of Mediums for the final stint. This strategic call, made as the track began to dry, proved to be a costly mistake for Lando Norris, who was leading the race at the time.
With just a two-second advantage over Lewis Hamilton, McLaren’s indecision regarding both timing and compound choice resulted in Norris losing the lead to Hamilton, and ultimately finishing third behind Max Verstappen, who made a successful switch to Hards on his RB20.
“What was baffling for us was McLaren were the only team that had a new Medium available to them, and they chose not to run it, which would have been an ideal tyre for those conditions.”
– Christian Horner, Red Bull Team Principal
Red Bull’s Strategic Mastery
McLaren boss Andrea Stella acknowledged post-race that the pit wall had made an error, citing Mercedes’ influence in their incorrect choice. Horner, on the other hand, was left baffled by McLaren’s decision, given the struggles several drivers faced in making the Soft tyre last during the opening stint.
When asked about Red Bull’s inspired choice to go with the Hards on Verstappen’s RB20, Horner explained:
- The Soft tyre was struggling in the first stint, with the front opening up very quickly.
- The Hard tyre was more robust and better suited for Red Bull.
Verstappen, who had previously criticized Red Bull’s strategy calls at the Austrian Grand Prix, praised the pit wall’s work at Silverstone, saying:
“We made the right calls. You know, going from the slicks to the Inters and then also from the Inters back to the slicks, I think it was every time the right lap. Then also at the end the call from the team to be on the Hard tyre instead of the Soft was definitely helping me out.”
Horner concluded, “The Hard tyre at the end of the race was very strong, particularly in the second sector, the high-speed sector. Max was massively quicker than the cars ahead.”
Formula 1 news today suggests that Red Bull’s strategic mastery and tyre management played a significant role in securing Verstappen’s second-place finish at the British Grand Prix.
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