Racing Bulls ended Friday’s Monaco F1 GP with the expectation of finding extra performance before Saturday’s qualifying session. Despite facing difficulties with tires and steering, the team believes there is still enough room for improvement to fight for a Q3 spot.
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Team principal Alan Permane assessed the day as challenging but highlighted that the drivers showed satisfaction with the car’s overall behavior. According to him, the main obstacles are related to the difficulty in getting the tires into their optimal operating window, which has caused an imbalance in the setup.
Additionally, the team identified problems with the steering system, a situation that also hampered performance throughout the sessions. Permane, however, downplayed the impact of the issue and expressed confidence in the team’s ability to resolve the problem before Saturday’s activities.
“It was a difficult day here in Monaco. We definitely have lap time to find, but I am confident we will achieve that by working overnight. The drivers are generally satisfied with the car, but we are having difficulty getting the tires into the correct operating window,” he stated.
The director added that Racing Bulls will do their utmost to optimize work in FP3 before the qualifying session: “These are not dramatic problems, but they have put us at a bit of a disadvantage. I am very confident that we will find more speed and be able to fight for a Q3 position,” he said.
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Arvid Lindblad had a special experience driving a Formula 1 car through the streets of Monte Carlo for the first time. The youngster finished FP1 in 18th position and moved up to 14th place in FP2, showing progress throughout the day.
Lindblad described the journey as intense and different from usual due to the circuit’s characteristics: “It was a very special moment to drive a Formula 1 car here for the first time. It was also a very intense day, probably one of the busiest Fridays of my F1 career so far, because there are few straights and you are constantly driving,” he stated.
Despite the challenges, the young driver believes the team is moving in the right direction. According to him, there are still areas of the car that need to be improved overnight, but the collected data indicates a clear path for adjustments: “We know what we need to do. We are heading in the right direction and I hope we can put everything together tomorrow,” he concluded.
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