“Pic shows Mercedes doing it”– New tactic observed between Red Bull-Mercedes fight; attempt to slow each other

Tanish Chachra | 22/11/2021
"Pic shows Mercedes doing it"– New tactic observed between Red Bull-Mercedes fight; attempt to slow each other

While the usual practices are being applied to beat each other, Red Bull-Mercedes have used an unorthodox approach to slow each other in Qatar.

Red Bull and Mercedes are intensely involved in the intense title fight, and both teams are taking every possible opportunity to beat their rival.

On Sunday, an unusual approach was discovered by both teams. A Twitter user observed that both teams stopped placing pneumatic lines to narrow the path after/before the pit stop.

It’s an attempt to slow down the other driver in one of the most crucial phases of the race. A driver, on average, loses 20 seconds in a pit stop, and if they lose a couple or more, they could be at a loss against their opposite driver.

It is believed that Mercedes used the same tactic in Brazil too. And Red Bull’s act in Qatar was payback for both races. Who said F1 is not a team sport?

Also read: Lewis Hamilton reveals where Mercedes discovered added speed to beat Red Bull in two consecutive races

FIA to stop this Red Bull-Mercedes tactic?

Usually, teams leave pneumatic lines for each other out of courtesy. But the way drivers charge out of a pit-stop, it could be hazardous for a pit member. So, it remains to be seen whether FIA will step in to include a new technical directive to maintain these lines.

This is not the first time when Mercedes have denied their rivals pneumatic lines. When they were primarily battling against Ferrari for the championship in the late 2010s, they many times rejected the Maranello based team the same.

But this year’s championship is even tenser, and Red Bull are ready to pay back every move made by Mercedes on the circuit.

Also read: Michael Masi responds to Lewis Hamilton saying that the rules and etiquettes of racing are no longer clear

Post Edited By: Tanish Chachra
Mercedes Red Bull

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

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