Max Verstappen and the Monaco barriers
Max Verstappen’s pole position streak came to an abrupt end in Monaco with Ted Kravitz claiming the “inherent concept” of the RB20 is just not suited to the Monte Carlo street circuit.
In Monaco, Verstappen faced a challenging time during the practice sessions on Friday. However, he appeared to recover in Saturday’s final session, closing the gap to Charles Leclerc to less than two-tenths.
Ted Kravitz points to the ‘inherent concept of this Red Bull’
After expressing his frustration with his RB20 behaving like a “kangaroo” and causing him a headache, Verstappen’s problems resurfaced during qualifying, resulting in a disappointing sixth-place finish.
0.297s slower than Leclerc’s pole position time, the reigning World Champion likened his RB20 to a “go-kart”.
Red Bull’s performance this weekend has been disappointing,” he expressed. “I am unable to handle any kerbs in the middle sector; I find myself maneuvering around them while driving.”
“It truly resembles maneuvering a go-kart devoid of any suspension or dampers, making our experience incredibly challenging.”
Kravitz believes that’s because one of the secrets behind the Red Bull RB20 is its “extreme suspension layout” that requires a “stiff” set-up to work, and running a car stiff doesn’t work in Monaco.
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“In our post-qualifying Notebook, he expressed that while we anticipated everyone to perform at a similar level, we didn’t expect Red Bull to lag so far behind.”
“What term did Max Verstappen use to describe it? This vehicle is ‘slippery’, and by that, he does not mean fast in a straight line. Rather, he refers to its lack of grip.”
“So, why is that? Allow me to explain. It all comes down to the fundamental concept of Red Bull.”
To optimize the downforce generated on the floor and establish a consistent aerodynamic foundation, an unconventional suspension layout known as anti-dive at the front and anti-squat at the rear is employed. This ensures a stable aerodynamic platform, maximizing performance.
“With the given suspension geometry and characteristics, when the driver applies the brakes, the front end resists diving into the corner, ensuring stability of the aerodynamic platform.”
Monaco does not prefer a stiff aerodynamic set-up for its track. To ensure optimal performance, the set platform should be operated in a manner that is not rigid.
“So naturally, the Red Bull car is not suited for tracks like this, and Singapore is similar to last year where Sainz emerged as the winner. Consequently, Max Verstappen secured sixth place while Sergio Perez finished in 18th.”
“He attempted a mega Max lap, but unfortunately ended up clumping the wall on his final try. He exclaimed, ‘Man, this car is so slippery!’ As a result, he fell short of pole position by 0.297 seconds, which is nearly three-tenths of a second. This difference may seem significant for Max Verstappen.”
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