In Monaco, Max Verstappen skillfully navigates the kerbs.
Former Aston Martin strategy chief Bernie Collins explained how she believes the prioritising of aerodynamics with the Red Bull concept leads to the struggles over bumpy surfaces, which plagued Max Verstappen in Monaco.
Championship leader Verstappen was far from pleased with his Red Bull RB20 in Monaco, citing an inability to ride the kerbs of this tight and technical street track, at one stage saying his RB20 felt like “a go-kart with no suspension and no dampers”.
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Verstappen secured a P6 position in both qualifying and the Monaco Grand Prix, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc triumphed on his home turf, claiming his first victory of the F1 2024 season. Looking ahead, the Canadian Grand Prix awaits, with both Ferrari and McLaren posing as strong contenders in their pursuit to challenge Verstappen and Red Bull for the championship title.
On the Sky F1 podcast, Collins put forward her theory about why the Red Bull RB20 struggled with the bumps and kerbs in Monaco. She explained that the Red Bull concept prioritizes aerodynamics over mechanical sympathy, which posed a problem on the uneven track.
Collins from Red Bull expressed his belief that the situation regarding kerbing would improve as we distance ourselves from street circuits.
“The Red Bull philosophy heavily emphasizes prioritizing aero over mechanical sympathy, which has consistently resulted in their car being the top performer in terms of aerodynamics.”
Achieving high-speed corners is a breeze on a flat and smooth surface. However, it becomes much more challenging on a track that is bumpy, on a street circuit, or one with aggressive kerbs.
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Canada can be quite bumpy at times, so there is potential due to its temporary track surface.
“Barcelona is expected to show significant improvement, resulting in a mixed performance. However, races held on street tracks or in uncertain conditions will pose a challenge for us.”
“Now, those other options offer greater profit margins. Specifically, Canada provides an opportunity to establish a slightly different product line or something similar, with higher profit margins.”
In Monaco, the lack of margin and proximity of the walls pose a significant challenge. If you lack confidence in the car and take extra precautions due to bumps or instability, it ultimately results in losing lap time. Conversely, on tracks where the walls are not as close, there is room to push the limits and potentially discover greater potential.
Verstappen is set to compete in the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, aiming for his third consecutive victory, with the statistics favoring Red Bull.
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