The Red Bull technical team has some of the brightest minds, and they are known for their intelligent tactics and innovations. The technical crew was the reason behind RBR’s recent domination, which started in 2022. Since then, the engineers at Milton Keynes have consistently surprised everyone with upgrades, resulting in three consecutive world titles.
However, the chasing packs have now figured out the code and are accelerating at a similar pace. Teams like Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes are now making a four-way battle. Moreover, the recent advancement of the Silver Arrows seems quick, and the W15 is in its best form. On the other hand, a rare mistake made by Max Verstappen in Silverstone destroyed the RB20’s upgrade package.
“The Floor Was A Real Mess,” Christian Horner Addresses The Technical Issue
The trailing teams have tamed the Red Bull juggernaut. While McLaren was already providing an intense challenge, Mercedes joined the battle. The Brackley-based team has won consecutive titles, offering a glimpse of its former glory days. While other teams are catching up, the RBR squad seems to have hit the reverse gear. While Max Verstappen continues to collect points, Sergio Perez has not managed to do so. Thus, it has trapped the raging Bulls in their own storm, and they’re desperate to break through.
Regarding the British GP, the Red Bull team introduced two upgrades. They brought a new floor for both Verstappen and Perez while tweaking the edge wings. While Checo failed to qualify for Q1, it wasn’t the squad’s biggest setback. They hit a snag when Verstappen made a rare misjudgment due to the wet surface during the Q1. Thus, the Dutchman went through a bumpy ride on the Corpse corner and hit his floor on gravel. The impact demolished the upgraded floor and left the RBR crew jolted.
Later, team chief Christian Horner revealed that the floor was completely destroyed and was a mess. However, he praised the mechanical team, who miraculously created something from that scrap. Moreover, after qualifying, he commended Verstappen’s effort to place the car with an almost completely damaged floor in P2.
However, this was not the first time the RBR team had to pay off a massive bill after a weekend. The tea was penalized for breaching the annual cost cap in 2022. Moreover, Checo’s crash on the Monte Carlo track has already increased the damage cost to $2.9M. Thus, further damage might restrict the technical team from introducing new changes. As a result, the Austrian team would be left at a disadvantage in the rapidly evolving car development race.
Helmut Marko’s Take On The Silverstone Mixed Results
Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s advisor, told Sky Deutschland more about the team’s outing in Silverstone. He said the team lost the race during the first stint owing to substantial graining on Max Verstappen’s medium tires. This problem hampered Verstappen’s performance, especially on a wet circuit, which is generally his strong point.
Furthermore, Marko stated that the tires just did not perform as intended. Despite this, he commended the team’s pit stops and strategy, particularly the immaculate execution of the decision to swap to hard tires during the final stint.
