'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko highlighted that the tire temperatures in hot conditions were one of the weaknesses of Max Verstappen's car during the Friday Practice session at the Bahrain GP. There was some optimism in the Austrian team regarding them closing the gap to McLarens on the track after notching their first win in Japan last weekend.
The Milton-Keynes outfit had managed to secure an unlikely pole position which gave them a crucial advantage for the main race. However, over 40 degrees of track temperature at the Sakhir International Circuit has highlighted a key weakness in the RB21.
Speaking with Sky Sports Germany, the Red Bull advisor was concerned about the strange issue given the shift in timings being related to the tire temperatures, saying (via RacingNews365)
"The tires get hot relatively quickly and then everything wears out. We also have a few other problems. But let's see, maybe we can find the golden mix for qualifying. We already knew that we are clearly at a disadvantage compared to McLaren when it was so hot."
Trending
"When the temperature rises, you slide more. One thing leads to another. Strangely enough, the tires recovered in between. At one moment we were equal to Lando Norris, at the other moment we were one to one and a half seconds behind," he added.
Although Max Verstappen sat out the FP1 session and gave over the reins to Ayumu Iwasa, when he returned for the all-important FP2 session, he was over eight tenths behind the fastest time set up by Oscar Piastri.
Max Verstappen analyzes his deficit to McLaren in Bahrain
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen stated that the gap was "massive" to the McLarens in the FP2 session as it took a couple of laps for him to get into a rhythm with the tires at the Bahrain GP.
Speaking with F1.com, the four-time F1 world champion reflected on his only practice session of the day and said:
“[It] took like one lap, two laps to get into it, but still the gap was quite massive, so [I’m] not entirely happy. [I was] just struggling a lot with grip, feeling in general. The balance wasn’t too bad but just, yeah, off, and quite a bit of work to do also in the long run."
"We’re just too slow basically every lap, and it was honestly not a lot of fun out there in the long run. A bit of drift practice at the end there as well!” he added.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull would hope for an overnight turnaround in performance similar to their exploits at Suzuka. However, the hot track temperatures and layout might not entirely suit RB21 as was evidenced during the pre-season testing in late February.
