sutton-images.com Heaven and Hell for Red Bull
26.05.2018
E s was the day of contrasts at Red Bull. Daniel Ricciardo confidently put his RB14 in first place. Red Bulls Motorsport Director Helmut Marko applauded. “Except for a little kiss on the wall in the second training session, Daniel is absolutely flawless this weekend. In qualifying he was quick in every section of the track. He dominated the opponents especially in the last part. ”The Pole man only had to cede the first sector to Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver won the first four corners with 18.594 to 18.638 seconds.
Red Bull counted on a lead
In the second section, Ricciardo was 51 thousandths of a second with a total time of 33.392 seconds faster than his closest pursuer Sebastian Vettel. Ricciardo took 0.143 seconds off the Ferrari driver in the last seven corners. In total it was 0.229 seconds. Hamilton in third lost over four tenths of a second. “We expected that our lead would be so big. In Monaco, Mercedes and Ferrari's party mode doesn't work as much as it does on other tracks, ”stated Marko.
Not only the doctor from Graz praised it. In a phone call shortly after qualifying, the man from Perth picked up the congratulations from above. 'Didi was very satisfied,' reported the beam man. Red Bulls boss Dietrich Mateschitz is meant. There was scolding on the other side of the garage. Max Verstappen blocked the chance of the best possible starting position for the GP Monaco 2018 in the third training session. In 60 minutes, in which there is nothing more than refining the setup and further strengthening self-confidence.
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Max Verstappen's accident car: Red Bull couldfail to repair the RB14 in time.
Helmut Marko spoke of an unforgivable mistake. “Sainz irritated him a bit. Then he stood across and the round was at the devil. After that he is simply not allowed to try to somehow catch the curve. That cost him at least the front row today. ”Instead, the 20-year-old from the Netherlands starts the sixth Grand Prix of the year from the very back. Or from the pit lane. “That is the more likely option. This way we stay out of the start-up chaos, bypass the Parc Fermé rules and can fill up the spare parts store. ”This refers to the engine components. Verstappen saw his mistake, but held fast at the same time. “The slow car caught me a little on the wrong foot. But that shouldn't be an excuse. Despite the situation, I was still two tenths below my personal best. That's why I pulled through. You will make the decision within a very short time. I just shortened the chicane too much and hit the wall. ”
Verstappen's breakdown series continues
For the sixth place in the World Cup, it is the continuation of the previous breakdown season. He was involved in six incidents over six Grand Prix weekends. Be it accidents with or without external influence. Verstappen defiantly. “I only made a real mistake here and in China.” His critics see it differently and keep him spinning in the opening race, in qualifying for the Bahrain GP, the collision with Daniel Ricciardo in Azerbaijan and the collision with Lance Stroll in Spain in front. 'I would ask him how much longer he wants to do this,' said Niki Lauda.
The impact in the crash barriers damaged the RB14 on the right side of the vehicle with serious consequences. Red Bull puts the damage at several hundred thousand euros. A race against time began for the mechanics. The repair of the right front suspension turned out to be the most complicated. Because many filigree carbon elements are installed in a small space. Red Bull almost got the car with starting number 33 ready in time for qualification. If the transmission, believed to be undamaged, had not become a stumbling block at the last moment.
Small crack in the transmission
A quarter of an hour before the start of qualification, the dream of a miracle repair was destroyed. “When the engine was started, transmission oil splashed through a crack in the housing,” reported Marko. “We hadn't discovered the crack because it was hidden under a cover. The remaining part was completely undamaged. ”
In contrast to Verstappen, Ricciardo converted the fastest car into pole. Three best training times and the best marks in Q1, Q2 and Q3 speak for the coolness and calm of the Australian. The six-time GP winner commented on the record lap of 1: 10.810 minutes. “It was a clean oneRound. And I felt that it would be good enough for first place on the grid. ”While Verstappen looks dogged and tense, Ricciardo is relaxed. “I'm just fighting with myself here. I want to achieve my personal goals. It's them that my name is at the top. Of course, you have something like that in the back of your head when your teammate has an accident. But you just have to hide it. ”
Ricciardo is extremely satisfied with his car. “I quickly had my rhythm on Thursday. Since then we have only changed little things on the car. ”The competition predicts that the race will be easy for him, provided he wins the start. “Then he can control the race, manage the tires and always accelerate when he needs it. For example, before the pit stop. Red Bull is unbeatable here, ”says Niki Lauda.
