Crimson Bull staff principal Laurent Mekies says the delay to the beginning of the Belgian Grand Prix shocked the staff after it opted for a moist climate setup on its automobiles.
Max Verstappen received the Dash on Saturday with a low downforce setup, making use of excessive prime velocity in dry circumstances. With rain forecast for Sunday, Crimson Bull then modified its strategy in qualifying based mostly on the climate, however 90 minutes handed between the unique try to start out the race after which lastly racing on a drying observe, with no one doing greater than ten racing laps on the intermediates earlier than switching to slicks.
“I feel we’re all shocked by how late we’ve got began the race,” Mekies mentioned. “I am certain the FIA had its personal concerns, however definitely for us as a staff it shocked us, as a result of basically we waited not just for the rain to cease, but additionally for just about the solar to return out, after which we nonetheless had many laps behind the protection automobile.
“So, once more, I am certain the FIA had its personal causes. In our particular case, having biased our automobiles in the direction of the rain, for certain it is costing us efficiency. Nevertheless it’s a part of the sport.”
Mekies identified how troublesome overtaking proved in dry circumstances all through the weekend as displaying the alternative set-up strategy was required to have the ability to make progress, as Max Verstappen was restricted to fourth place behind Charles Leclerc.
“Clearly, the truth that we received so little moist working did not assist. It is one thing that we had made fairly heavy decisions, fascinated about a moist race. In the long run, the rain got here, however we did not get many nice racing [laps]. So, for certain, it has an affect on the race, it is a part of the sport.
“I feel, on the dries, there was little or no risk to overhaul. On the finish of the day, Max has spent each second lap in Charles’ gearbox. I do not assume, on the dries, we’ve got seen many overtaking strikes at this race. And, with our decisions on downforce, it will have been unlikely that we might have been capable of move them within the dry.
“So, it’s what it’s. You begin fourth, get crushed by three thousandths of a second by Charles [in qualifying], and end fourth.”
The dry working additionally damage Yuki Tsunoda’s possibilities of scoring factors, after Mekies admitted a staff error value him his place within the prime ten and he was unable to regain these positions.
“So, for Yuki, it was our mistake. We wished to pit him on the identical lap as Max, and all the pieces was prepared, the crew was out, all the pieces was able to get each automobiles, and we merely referred to as him too late. So it is on us, sadly, and one lap made an enormous distinction, so he misplaced, I feel, three or 4 positions, which in the end stopped his struggle for the factors.”
