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McLaren Poised for Dominance as Red Bull Faces Challenges in Bahrain
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has expressed concerns regarding McLaren’s impressive performance in Bahrain, suggesting that they may be “a few tenths” quicker than their competitors. This development casts doubt on the likelihood of Max Verstappen replicating his spectacular victory from Suzuka.
During the second practice session, Oscar Piastri outpaced his McLaren teammate Lando Norris, placing them both half a second ahead of their closest rival, George Russell from Mercedes, and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Max Verstappen, who sat out the first practice session to allow Red Bull reserve Ayumu Iwasa to gain experience, finished in seventh place, lagging eight tenths behind the leaders. Yuki Tsunoda’s performance was also underwhelming, landing him in 18th position after focusing on set-up tests.
Horner emphasized that McLaren appears to have a distinct edge this weekend, attributing this advantage to the hot and abrasive surface of the Bahrain circuit, which seems to favor the McLaren cars. “We have a lot of work ahead tonight,” Horner stated. “The McLarens are very quick. While Mercedes and Ferrari’s performance seems closely matched, McLaren definitely has a few tenths of an advantage over the rest of the pack.”
He outlined the need for the team to grasp how they could enhance their performance, indicating that issues with temperature management might be central to their challenges.
Concerns Over Set-Up and Tyre Management
Last week in Japan, Red Bull made significant adjustments to their set-up after encountering similar difficulties, which allowed Verstappen to attain pole position. However, Horner remains apprehensive that the more abrasive nature of the Bahrain track could amplify McLaren’s superior tyre performance, complicating Red Bull’s efforts to fend off faster competitors throughout the race.
“Repeating last week’s achievement in Bahrain is unrealistic, especially when faced with a track that facilitates overtaking,” he remarked, highlighting the need for concerted efforts with engineers that evening.
Beyond Engine Modes
Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s advisor, echoed Horner’s sentiments in an interview with Autosport. He noted that while Red Bull typically utilizes less aggressive engine modes during practice sessions, the team’s performance deficit appears to stem from various factors. “We are trailing in terms of speed, and our tyres are overheating too quickly,” Marko explained. “Max has already indicated that Bahrain presents a more significant challenge for us.”
Marko pinpointed tyre temperature management as a critical issue, revealing that excessive heat leads to loss of grip. “There was a moment when our tyres seemed to recover, allowing us to match Lando’s lap times, but that was only for a few laps in the middle of the session,” he said. “Overall, this track and these high temperatures do not play to our strengths.”
Source
www.autosport.com