Red Bull racing has made miraculous progress in the past few years. With a sleek design and strong rear wings, the drink-based team successfully dethroned the reigning champions of Formula One, Mercedes. Ever since the controversial win in 2021, Red Bull has been unstoppable. Even in 2022, the team took home the drivers as well as the constructor’s championship with ease, as no competition could close in on them.
Meanwhile, as the 2023 season commenced, Red Bull racing once again unleashed its dominance on the track. Their brand new RB19 has an unmatchable pace which has helped their two driver, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, lead in the driver’s championship leaderboard. As the team looked poised to rule yet another season, FIA has decided to crack down on the Milton-Keynes-based team.
FIA Selects Max Verstappen’s RB19 For Routine Investigation
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is currently underway as Formula One resumed after a four-week-long break. Baku street circuit will also host the first sprint race of the season. However, ahead of the GP, Red Bull has faced a significant setback. Reports are coming in that FIA, the official governing body of the sport, has selected Max Verstappen’s RB19 for investigation this week. However, FIA clarified that it’s nothing but just a routine check. Apparently, FIA randomly selects a car after each Grand Prix for a routine check-up.
It’s just a measure FIA follows to check if any team is violating any set of regulations while upgrading their machinery. Hence, this week, they sent Max’s car for inspection and checked the car’s dampers, sensor systems, and suspension. Moreover, after necessary checks, the governing body found no violations and issued a clean chit to the Dutchman’s machinery. Hence, Red Bull can now freely race in the upcoming Baku race weekend without any lingering cause of concern. Overall, the FIA’s decision to investigate the RB19 shows that the governing body is committed to ensuring that all teams adhere to the rules and that any breaches will be dealt with accordingly.
Charles Leclerc Takes Pole For Baku Race Beating Red Bull
Red Bull Racing were all set and geared up to dominate another race of the season as they arrived in Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. However, Charles Leclerc had other plans. The qualifying session for Sunday’s main race took place on Friday, owing to the new sprint format. The Red Bulls were poised to take their consecutive poles for the season. However, Leclerc, in his Ferrari, cruised past Max Verstappen to claim a sensational pole for the main race.
During the Q3 of qualifying, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen recorded the same time. But Max took the provisional pole as he set the time first. However, the Ferrari driver was not ready to back down without a fight. He pushed his machinery to the limit and gave it all he had in the final round to claim his first-ever pole position of the season. It’s worth noting that Baku has never had a repetitive winner, and Leclerc has never won in Azerbaijan. Hence, he might just record a cruising victory this weekend. But he would have the flying Red Bull driven by Verstappen and Perez chasing him all through the race. Hence, the Monégasque must stay vigilant.