Will Max Verstappen work his qualifying magic again, as he did in Japan, leading him to win the race on Sunday? The Dutch driver should never be counted out, although Red Bull seemed more challenged in Bahrain than in Suzuka.
The Milton Keynes team is one of those that struggles to extract the car’s potential on Friday and often manages to get things back on track on Saturday morning after collecting more track data than simulation data.
Red Bull brought a new front wing to Sakhir, which was reserved for the four-time world champion, while Yuki Tsunoda had to make do with the previous version, even though he also had the “short” nose with the attachment on the second element. Bahrain’s track is suited to medium downforce configuration, but compared to the preseason tests, Max chose a final flap with a more curved design and greater central cord length.
While Yuki Tsunoda reached a speed trap of 326.2 km/h, Max Verstappen was slower at 323.7 km/h. It’s true that top speed counts on the long straights, but to find the best lap time, it’s better to prioritize traction on a stop-and-go track.
The high temperatures over the weekend didn’t surprise the Milton Keynes team: Red Bull opened large vents on the side of the engine cover, featuring six deep gills for heat extraction from the Honda power unit.
In terms of cooling, the RB21 seems to be one of the most versatile cars: in Giorgio Piola’s drawings, we can see the various cover openings: in Melbourne and Shanghai, there were very small vents, while in Suzuka, a completely closed version was chosen to prioritize aerodynamic efficiency.
In Bahrain, however, the focus shifted to mechanical reliability, and the team preferred to satisfy the air hunger.
Leave a Reply