Max Verstappen explained that track characteristics at the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix heightened Red Bull’s issues and made a repeat of his Suzuka victory nigh-on impossible.
Verstappen’s Red Bull RB21 suffers with through-corner balance issues and poor tyre preservation.
Still, a resurfaced Suzuka layout mitigated those problems in Japan, and Verstappen was able to take a surprise pole position and victory.
There were reservations that Bahrain’s abrasive surface would expose Red Bull’s problems, and they did in a big way as Verstappen was only able to finish sixth, more than half a minute behind victor Oscar Piastri.
Verstappen told select media, including Motorsport Week on Sunday, that Red Bull’s “lack of balance” was “highlighted” at the Bahrain International Circuit.
“When you have no balance and no tyre management, or worse tyre management than the others, then on this track it’s worse.”
At Suzuka, Verstappen explained “the surface is completely different,” adding “the tyres play an even bigger role” in Bahrain.
“Normally, our car in the very high-speed corners is quite a bit more stable,” Verstappen added.
“But here [in Bahrain], there are a lot more other factors that come into play.”
Even if Japan yielded a victory, Verstappen said that weekend was “hit and miss.”
The Dutchman said, “Friday, Suzuka was bad. Qualifying, then, it was a bit better.
“The race, of course, was a bit better, but still not where I want it to be,” he continued.
“At least then you are competitive. Here then, it was off again.“
Red Bull can only ‘mask’ problems through set-up
Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner also spoke on the team’s deficiencies with the RB21 and how they were masked in Japan.
Given the RB21’s pitfalls, Red Bull has experimented with set-up and Horner admitted the team “literally turned the car upside down set-up-wise,” to win in Japan.
Still, that tactic can only take one so far.
“I think ultimately you can mask it a little through set-up and we were able to achieve that last weekend in Suzuka but I think this race has exposed some pitfalls obviously very clearly that we have that we need to get on top of very quickly and I think we understand where the issues are, it’s introducing the solutions that obviously take a little more time,” Horner said post-race in Bahrain.
Looking forward, Red Bull must work hard to fix its problems, which a correlation issue between the wind tunnel and track has made even harder.
Presently, as F1 heads to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia, Verstappen said, “The layout will probably help a bit because in Jeddah there’s just a bit less deg, but when you’re worse on tyres, you’re worse on it everywhere.”
READ MORE – Max Verstappen: Red Bull ‘worse than last year’ around Bahrain with RB21 car
