A meticulous investigation has solved Red Bull’s pit-stop mystery in Bahrain.
- An electrical fault in the pit gantry disrupted Red Bull’s race at Bahrain.
- Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda faced unexpected delays during crucial pit-stops.
- The issue, invisible during practice, emerged during the actual race, baffling the team.
- Despite challenges, Red Bull eyes improvements with upcoming car updates.
An extensive investigation into Red Bull’s pit-stop delays at the Bahrain Grand Prix has finally pinpointed the problem. The culprit turned out to be an electrical issue within the team’s pit gantry. This malfunction significantly affected their drivers’ performances, costing valuable time on the track.
Both Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda experienced unusual delays during their pit-stops. Verstappen’s first stop took over four seconds as he waited for a release signal that never came. Tsunoda encountered similar problems, with the team’s signals going awry, which he promptly reported over the team radio.
The situation worsened during Verstappen’s second stop on Lap 26, where he was stalled for 6.2 seconds. Here, not only did the electrical issue persist, but a sticky right-front wheel added to the delay. The problem centered around the pit gantry failing to correctly register the ‘green’ status of the wheel guns, essential for guaranteeing wheel nuts were tight before the car could be safely lowered.
It took a specialist to trace the issue, which was strangely absent during routine practice sessions but appeared during the race, causing puzzlement within the team. The delays compounded a weekend where Red Bull’s RB21 struggled for pace, leaving Verstappen to scrape into sixth place on the last lap.
Looking ahead, Red Bull remains optimistic about the future. They plan to introduce updates to the RB21 that align with their pre-season development strategy. These changes are poised to enhance the car’s performance, although not drastically enough to appear on the FIA’s public upgrades list. Further updates are on the horizon, particularly at the Miami Grand Prix and later at Imola.
With the pit-stop mystery unraveled, Red Bull is geared up for a strategic comeback.
