Red Bull and Max Verstappen are currently dominating Formula 1 like few others have. The car is the class of the field and Max has been running circles around his teammate Sergio Perez. Therefore, it is mind-blowing to even conceive of the notion that Red Bull is sandbagging. However, that’s what a lot of people think is happening after the Hungarian GP and Belgian GP.
What happened at the Hungarian GP?
After his second stop at the Hungarian GP, Max Verstappen’s pace increased drastically in his first full lap. He clocked a lap time of 1:20.504. This was comfortably the fastest lap of the entire Grand Prix.
The notable part is that after this lap, Max started to lap slower by almost 2 seconds. This particular aspect is what has got many people thinking Red Bull are sandbagging.
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What happened at the Belgian GP?
Former performance engineer at Red Bull, Blake Hinsey, pointed out how both Red Bulls were lifting during Eau Rouge. Eau Rouge is not a place to lift off despite the high lateral and vertical loads on the tyres. This is because lifting through Eau Rouge compromises your entire run to Les Combes.
The fact that Red Bull scored a 1-2 in this race despite lifting off at Eau Rouge is a huge feat. However, he did have a likely explanation for the phenomenon. Being a sprint weekend, teams may not have had the optimal ride height. Since Eau Rouge has a compression, Red Bull may have been wary of excessive plank wear.
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What does Max say?
When asked about the Hungarian GP incident, Max Verstappen simply pointed to the nature of the Pirelli tyres. He said the tyres hit their peak quickly and can degrade pretty fast. Also, he used up his battery on that particular lap. All the factors combined led to the speed differential everyone saw.
He went on to say every driver has to manage their tyres. If they keep trying to achieve that lap, they will degrade their tyres in 5 laps according to him. He said he could have won by more, or maybe he could have won by less. In the end, he was happy to win.
Sandbagging or not, Red Bull and Max Verstappen have decimated the Formula 1 grid. And their dominance shows no signs of stopping. Can anyone challenge them? Well, we will keep finding the answer for you.
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