Red Bull believe being "too ambitious" in their weight-saving push may have led to Max Verstappen's intermittent DRS (Drag Reduction System) issues at the Spanish Grand Prix. The problems at one stage threatened to rob him of a race win when, for a number of laps, he was unable to pass the Mercedes of George Russell. Verstappen was audibly frustrated on the team radio, due to the DRS often failing to open as he looked to complete an overtake as pressure mounted from behind. Prior to the race, Red Bull were confident they had cured the problem – which had also plagued Verstappen during qualifying – but have now been left needing to conduct further analysis into what they consider a symptom of the RB18's strict diet. A number of parts involved in their weight-saving efforts may no longer possess the "right stiffness" to prove durable during a Grand Prix, the team have suggested. Sergio Perez's car did not encounter the same problem.
Horner: DRS issue needs further analysis
Red Bull have just one week to find a fix for the issue before F1 hits the track again at the Monaco Grand Prix. The problem has arisen at a time when the Milton Keynes-based squad are looking to get their RB18 car down to the minimum weight of 798 kilograms. Discussing Red Bull's next steps in addressing the issue, team boss Christian Horner told members of the media, including RacingNews365.com : "It needs further analysis. "Of course, we're chasing every ounce of performance and weight is a factor as well. Maybe we've been too ambitious there. "We need to understand exactly what the issue is, because we thought we had a fix but, unfortunately, it didn't prove to be a reliable fix for the entire race."
Marko: It's like walking a tightrope
Helmut Marko was in agreement as he picked apart Sunday's race, in which Verstappen was embroiled in a fierce battle with Russell, took a trip across the gravel and overcome reliability gremlins on his way to victory. "Next time we should make it a less stressful race," Helmut has told Austrian outlet ORF . "We assumed we had solved and corrected the problem after qualifying, but that was clearly not the case. "If you are heavy, you have to make parts lighter. We have exceeded a limit there. Then parts bend or no longer have the right stiffness. It's like walking a tightrope."
Most read
