Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko has admitted that the team underestimated the power of the pit stop undercut in Bahrain, which could give Max Verstappen the lead in the race.
Verstappen was frustrated after the opportunity to overtake Charles Leclerc earlier had not been taken after he got in front of the Ferrari driver, as he was told to be relieved of his exit.
As a result, an angry band radio message from the World Champion was broadcast on international TV saying “never, never” ever to come out of the pits again.
The anger remained unseen after Verstappen resigned late, but with the benefit of the back, the team knew they could have jumped ahead in the race.
"We have underestimated the benefits of the undercut, we have to be honest about that," Mark admitted in an interview with the Dutch edition of Motorsport.com.
"Max was told to calm down a bit when he came out. But if he had been in front of Leclerc, it would have been a completely different story. So it was all about the strategy with us, it was not Max's fault. ”
Verstappen's race ended shortly after he returned to the pits when his car was completely shut down.
He had previously complained about traffic problems, speaking to Leclerc at a press conference after the race that "it was not a sad thing, but it was not throwing, it was like getting stuck - hence at a high point. - corners of the vineyard, I could not direct. "
And Dr. Mark was able to enlighten you on what was happening.
"At the third stop there was a problem with the jug," he said. "When they released the car to return to the ground, something was wrong with the steering wheel."
Verstappen echoed the sentiments of his employers, adding that having a track could have opened up a lot of opportunities - although he was still inspired by the way the new Red Bull Powertrains construction worked as a whole.
"I think we could have done better strategically," he told reporters in Bahrain. “At least we had to be aggressive in those games we came out of. Then we would be ahead and we should see what happens. At least our top speed was good for the whole race. ”
