Red Bull arrives at the Formula 1 Canadian GP with an atmosphere of expectation behind the scenes. The team sees positive signs after the latest updates on the RB22 and hopes to confirm the progress over the weekend in Montreal. Technical Director Pierre Waché positively assessed the impact of the recently introduced update package and highlighted the race in Canada as another important test:
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“Miami saw us take a clear step forward, with the update package delivering encouraging performance gains and helping to address some key areas of the car. This highlighted some weaknesses of the car and room for improvement to extract overall performance. Canada will be another good test for the package, along with some small updates this weekend. It was a positive boost for the team to see the progress translating on track after a lot of hard work behind the scenes, and we hope the car’s development continues as we enter the European races.”
Isack Hadjar reinforced the motivation for the stage in Montreal and highlighted the importance of the weekend with the sprint race: “Since Miami, I’ve been eager to get back in the car and race again. The team delivered a much stronger package after the break and we want to continue this progress heading to Montreal. It’s another weekend with a Sprint, so there are many opportunities to perform well and score points.”
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen celebrated on May 15 the 10th anniversary of his first victory with Red Bull. The four-time world champion recalled the moment: “It’s a very special feeling. Of course, I didn’t expect to win; after the two Mercedes collided, you aim for a podium, but in the end coming out on top is amazing. Hearing the Dutch national anthem for the first time in Formula 1, I definitely think of my father and I heard he was crying, so yes, it’s unbelievable. He invested a lot of time in me and this achievement is also because of him. I wasn’t nervous during the race, I was just trying to focus and drive the best I could.”
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“We focused a lot on preserving the tires because, on my last stop, I still had 32 laps to go, but it worked! With five laps to go, I saw Kimi was dropping off a bit, he tried a few times and that wears out the tires, and from there I was like ‘ok, focus on the tires now and bring the car home’. I will definitely remember that and, at the moment, it’s just an incredible feeling. It’s fantastic, I have no words. The company on the podium was very good, I mean, Kimi even raced against my father, so it’s very funny! I celebrated a lot on the in-lap and had a bit of cramp, but that’s part of it!”
Red Bull is in fourth place in the constructors’ championship with 30 points. This weekend, the Canadian GP will bring the chance for the team’s evolution. The event takes place between May 22 and 24, with full coverage from F1MANIA.NET LIVE.
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