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?
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.
