Crimson Bull crew principal Laurent Mekies says the delay to the beginning of the Belgian Grand Prix shocked the crew 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 high pace 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 monitor, with no person doing greater than ten racing laps on the intermediates earlier than switching to slicks.
“I believe we’re all shocked by how late we have now began the race,” Mekies mentioned. “I am certain the FIA had its personal concerns, however actually for us as a crew 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 come back 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 direction of the rain, for certain it is costing us efficiency. However it’s a part of the sport.”
Mekies identified how tough overtaking proved in dry circumstances all through the weekend as exhibiting 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 bought so little moist working did not assist. It is one thing that we had made fairly heavy selections, interested by 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 believe, on the dries, there was little or no chance 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 have now seen many overtaking strikes at this race. And, with our selections on downforce, it will have been unlikely that we’d have been capable of cross 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 harm Yuki Tsunoda’s probabilities of scoring factors, after Mekies admitted a crew error value him his place within the high 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 the whole lot was prepared, the crew was out, the whole lot 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 a giant distinction, so he misplaced, I believe, three or 4 positions, which in the end stopped his battle for the factors.”
