Max Verstappen is reportedly set to race with a heavier car at the 2022 F1 Monaco GP as Red Bull looks to fix some of its reliability issues. Milton Keynes is planning to introduce stiffer parts to the RB18 at Monte Carlo after the DRS on Verstappen’s car failed in Barcelona last weekend.
According to the team’s special advisor Helmut Marko, the new parts will add an estimated two kilograms to the car’s weight. Speaking to the ORF, the Austrian said:
“We have reached a limit. Then the parts bend or they no longer have the right stiffness. Two kilos more or less will not make the difference in Monte Carlo.”
Red Bull started the 2022 season with one of the heavier cars on the grid and has since targeted to cut down on excessive mass. With a slew of upgrades over the last few races, the team seems to have achieved valuable weight savings.
The team, however, might have gone ‘over the edge’ with some of those savings. They introduced a new high-downforce rear wing at Barcelona — intended for use specifically at the Spanish and Monaco GPs — with lightweight DRS actuators.
On race day, the actuator on Max Verstappen’s car failed leaving the Dutchman unable to overtake and forcing him onto an aggressive three-stop strategy. During earlier stints when he was battling a much slower George Russell for the lead, a frustrated Verstappen lashed out at his team, saying that they were “unable to even get basic things working”.
According to Marko, some of the weight savings on the RB18 might be reversed for the Monaco GP, with the team looking to add more stiffness to crucial parts to avoid a repeat of Verstappen’s Spanish GP woes.
“A lot can change” – Max Verstappen not comfortable despite Red Bull leading both championships
Defending F1 world champion Max Verstappen wrestled control of the standings from Charles Leclerc after his third consecutive win of the season in Spain. The Dutchman, however, is not comfortable with his position yet and feels that a lot could change over the long season ahead. Hey said:
“It’s great that we are leading the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships. Checo [Sergio Perez] and I work very well together as a team. However, there is still a long way to go, and a lot can change, as we have already seen this season.”
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Meanwhile, Red Bull also lead the constructor’s championship for the first time this season, after clawing back an early-season deficit that saw the team endure three DNFs in the space of three races. Despite continued reliability woes, the team from Milton Keynes seems to be getting better and better as the season progresses.
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