After a weekend away from Formula 1, during which MotoGP will take centre stage with the Czech Republic Grand Prix, the F1 paddock will return to action in Austria for what is effectively Red Bull’s home race.
The Milton Keynes-based team will arrive at the Spielberg circuit, better known as the Red Bull Ring, determined to deliver a strong performance in front of its home crowd. However, before doing so, the team is already working to resolve a number of issues that have repeatedly surfaced during the season.
Start procedure under the spotlight
One of those concerns involves the team’s launch procedure, which has come under criticism from Isack Hadjar. The French driver described the process as “too complicated” after experiencing difficulties at the start of the Spanish Grand Prix. The issue is not entirely new. Following Max Verstappen’s poor getaway in Monaco, Hadjar also struggled off the line in Barcelona. Despite starting from the third row of the grid, he dropped out of the top ten immediately after the start before fighting his way back through the field to secure sixth place at the finish.
The experience left the young driver frustrated and eager to see improvements before Formula 1 heads to Austria.
Looking to Mercedes for inspiration
Hadjar hopes Red Bull can follow the example set by Mercedes, which managed to solve similar launch-related issues after encountering problems during the opening stages of the season.
Speaking to the media after the Spanish Grand Prix, the Frenchman explained just how problematic the situation had become during the weekend.
“For me, it was that kind of weekend,” said the Red Bull driver. “I think that, out of the six practice starts we did throughout the weekend, this one was the worst, and it happened on the grid.
“I stalled the engine twice, which had never happened to me all season. We need to fix these issues.
“The procedure is too complicated, and I’m not a computer, I’m not a machine. I can’t be accurate to 0.0001%. It doesn’t work.”
A key issue ahead of Austria
Hadjar’s comments highlight an area that Red Bull will undoubtedly be examining closely before the Austrian Grand Prix. In modern Formula 1, where track position can often determine the outcome of a race, losing places at the start can be extremely costly. While the Frenchman ultimately recovered well in Barcelona, consistently poor launches could undermine strong qualifying performances and make race weekends unnecessarily difficult.
With the team preparing for one of the most important events on its calendar, attention will now turn to whether Red Bull can simplify its procedures and ensure both drivers get cleaner starts when Formula 1 returns to Spielberg.
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