After a few difficult race weekends, Red Bull had a much-improved start to the Azerbaijan GP weekend after bringing in a minor floor upgrade. Max Verstappen topped the timings charts in FP1, while Sergio Perez registered the second-fastest lap time in FP2.
Despite this, Verstappen was not happy with the car. F1 journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm from The Race has now explained the changes Red Bull introduced this weekend, which have helped them achieve decent lap times during the two free practice sessions.
“Red Bull’s had a much better day on track in Friday practice at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, even though Max Verstappen still wasn’t entirely happy with his car,” he said.
Red Bull, Friday form, and upgrades are the topics of discussion in this video…
…so @SMitchellF1 breaks down what we might have learned pic.twitter.com/0ucUMYfl5Q
— The Race (@wearetherace) September 13, 2024
He then discussed the “subtle” upgrade Red Bull introduced to the RB20. There has been a geometry change to the back of the floor.
That said, he doesn’t believe the upgrade significantly improved their performance. Instead, he feels it will benefit Red Bull in future races. As for the Azerbaijan GP, the team’s good performance in practice has more to do with the track layout favoring Red Bull.
He concluded that Red Bull now has a much better understanding of its car and knows where to focus future improvements. Mitchell believes the Austrian team may introduce a minor upgrade next weekend in Singapore before unveiling a major one at Austin.
Practice helped Red Bull understand where to improve
Although Verstappen was not very happy with his initial runs in practice, he believes Red Bull learned a lot from the sessions. He hopes the team can use this knowledge to improve the car’s balance for the rest of the weekend, which would make them more competitive.
Verstappen positive after FP2: ‘If we do that, we can be competitive’
– Max Verstappen finished sixth in the second free practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix but remains optimistic about his chances in Baku. Despite the position, he believes Red Bull Racing can be… pic.twitter.com/LfGvi4ScIS
— This is Formula 1 (@ThisIsFormu1a1) September 13, 2024
Red Bull needs a strong weekend to boost its chances of retaining the Constructors’ title this season. Its strong start to the campaign faltered, coinciding with McLaren’s resurgence. After the Italian GP two weeks ago, the Woking-based team reduced Red Bull’s lead to just eight points.
However, given their pace during the two practice sessions and the track record of their drivers at this circuit, Red Bull is hopeful for a strong result. In the past three seasons, Pérez has won twice in Baku, while Verstappen has secured one victory.
