Red Bull is hoping it has found a permanent fix for the DRS malfunction that plagued Max Verstappen during the 2022 F1 Spanish GP weekend.
The reigning world champion was denied the chance to unleash his Red Bull RB18 for a flying lap during the final moments of Q3 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, costing him a shot at pole position. The issue handicapped the Dutchman for a large part of the race as well.
Had it not been for Charles Leclerc’s DNF and benevolence in the form of team orders and cooperation from Sergio Perez, that malfunction could have had a huge impact on Verstappen’s bid to defend his crown this season.
Red Bull’s head of car engineering, Paul Monaghan, believes the team has found a way to eliminate the faulty DRS issue ahead of the 2022 F1 Azerbaijan GP weekend.
Speaking in an interview with motorsport.com, the British engineer hinted at the problem being caused by the Milton Keynes-based outfit pushing the envelope on weight reduction. Monday said:
“Our DRS problem was self-inflicted, I think if we are honest, so now we’ve learned our rather painful lessons. There is a sigh of relief after the work that some very clever people did, the research and the checks. They did a phenomenal job in a very short period of time. The challenge has changed from circuit to circuit, the wait time changes, the speed of opening changes, the conditions change.”
The 54-year-old also expressed confidence, having taken lessons from their struggles with the DRS in Spain into account. He went on to add, saying:
“I’m confident, much happier based upon what we learned coming out of Spain. I suppose the galling part is the lesson we had to be handed on a silver platter so yeah, take that one on the chin and move on.”
Red Bull and Sergio Perez agree to contract extension till 2024
Red Bull has agreed on a new deal with Sergio Perez that will see the Mexican driver remain with the British outfit until the end of the 2024 season.
The news was announced shortly after the 32-year-old’s masterful win in tricky conditions at the 2022 F1 Monaco GP.
In a statement issued after the confirmation of the new deal, Perez said:
“For me, this has been an incredible week, winning the Monaco Grand Prix is a dream for any driver and then to follow that with announcing I will continue with the team until 2024 just makes me extremely happy. I am so proud to be a member of this team and I feel completely at home here now.”
Perez, who is currently third in the World Drivers’ Championship standings with 110 points, went on to add, saying:
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“We are working very well together and my relationship with Max [Verstappen], on and off the track, is definitely helping drive us forward even more. We have built tremendous momentum as a team and this season is showing that, I am excited to see where that can take us all in the future.”
Perez now has his sights set on the 2022 F1 Azerbaijan GP, where he won his first-ever race as a Red Bull driver.
