The Reason Why Red Bull’s Hands Were Tied in Pushing Max Verstappen to Pole at French GP

The battle between the Red Bull and the Ferrari continues to unfold in round 12 of the 2022 championship. Walking into the weekend, Max Verstappen leads Charles Leclerc by 38 points in his quest to defend his F1 crown. However, after the Qualifying session, the Italians are on the front foot by grabbing the pole position.

The red team delivered a perfect example of teamwork that makes the dream work. Carlos Sainz, penalized for new power unit elements starts at the back of the grid on Sunday. Nevertheless, he acted as Leclerc’s wingman by providing him an essential slipstream in the Q3 session which locked him in the P1 position for the race.

The Monegasque regarded his partner’s actions by saying “Grande Carlos” who helped him grab the advantage over his rivals. The Red Bull cars start in P2 and P3 and are in prime position for the race. Despite a competitive position on the grid, many asked why did the Milton Keynes outfit not choose to opt for the slipstream strategy?

Red Bull advisor, Helmut Marko opined on this by saying “The Mercedes were too close for that. We didn’t want to risk that. On the other hand, we saw that the warming up is different from set of tires to set of tires. And we certainly didn’t have an optimal balance But we’re in the hundredths and tenths. Ferrari simply did it better.” (translated using google)

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Le Castellet is in for a treat with two raging bulls lining up against a sole prancing horse. Do you think Leclerc can hold on to his advantage against Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez?

Can we have a 3-way fight between Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes at Paul Ricard?

Coming into the weekend, the big hype in the paddock was the W13. Mercedes featured an upgrade package that showed a fresh cooling system design on its nose. Although the team is on the up and up with three consecutive podium finishes, it might be in for a rough outing in Paul Ricard.

Team boss, Toto Wolff and the seven-time champion, Lewis Hamilton found themselves puzzled after the qualifying session. The Mercedes Team Principal said “Instead of going forward, it went backwards. As so often this year, we understand very little again”.

While the Brit added “I’m satisfied with my position. My last lap was great. Still, we’re nine tenths off the top. I don’t understand why the gap has grown since the last race.” The consistency and the race pace have been the German’s strengths this season and would help them close the gap to the leaders up ahead.

Since Bahrain GP, Red Bull has a rocket ship on the straights. The secret to success at this track is the straight line speed, and the RB18 is the benchmark for the same. Nevertheless, tire degradation on scorching hot asphalt can be a thorn in the side of the Austrian racing stable. Tire management would be the key to success for them in the race. Ferrari features a trimmed rear wing spec since the Canada GP.

This has significantly improved its performance on the straights and will help in keeping the rival cars behind. With a win at the Austria GP, Leclerc has found his feet back in the season and is a force to be reckoned with in his home away from home.

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The 53-lap race has a lot in the store for the fans to cheer and would give us a new look at the championship standings. The Mistral Straight provides the best overtaking opportunity and can treat us to a fight between the 3 racing giants. Who are you cheering on for today in the Grand Prix? Let us know.