Red Bull Racing Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen feels Pirelli must improve its 2023 Formula 1 tires, but says handling problems for the 2022 F1 car are due to weight.
The 2022 F1 World Championship marks the dawn of a new F1 era, with the return of ground effect cars to the Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen’s Red Bull Racing team has done their best work with Ferrari in interpreting the new regulations, with Red Bull and Ferrari winning all of the 13 Grands Prix so far this season.
That said, not all cars are in their optimal operating window yet, and Red Bull RB18 is one of the teams going into the season above the minimum weight.
Max Verstappen had cited understeer and a rather inadequate front end as the RB18’s hallmarks, but team-mate Sergio Perez suggested that he had taken the RB18 from him, thanks to upgrades from Red Bull Racing. I feel a little better.”
According to Motorsport-Total.com, Max Verstappen said of understeer: “I think it’s due to the weight of the car and the construction of the tyres. It’s not ideal.”
“But that’s why as a team we have to work on that issue and try to make the car steer a little bit better.”
“We are improving the car, but there are still limitations that we have to deal with. We just have to rev the car a bit more.”
He believes there are two issues going on with the weight of the car, as Verstappen has mentioned, and he also hopes Pirelli will address the tire compound for 2023.
Pirelli intends to do so with a stronger front tire aimed at reducing understeer, a move Verstappen welcomes, but stresses the team also has its own role.
“Of course with a stronger front tire we can attack the corners even better,” said Verstappen.
Max Verstappen has also admitted that it is not easy for Pirelli to predict how the tires will behave on any given race weekend.
2022 is also the first season in which Pirelli’s 18-inch tires will be used instead of the 13-inch compounds of the past, alongside major changes to the F1 machine.
“Of course they need to bring the tires, but I don’t know how much downforce they will have,” admitted Max Verstappen.
“And with the added weight, it’s difficult for Pirelli to know what to expect and what to get.”
Category: F1 / Max Verstappen / red bull / Pirelli