Max Verstappen (Getty)
Red Bull F1 team have suffered three DNFs this season so far, primarily due to technical issues
Red Bull have not made an ideal start to the season. In the current Constructors’ championship standings, Red Bull lie in the third spot with 55 points behind Mercedes (65) and Ferrari (104). In the opening race in Bahrain, Red Bull had two DNFs with both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez failing to register timings. The Saudi Arabia GP was really fruitful for the team with Verstappen winning the race while Perez finished fourth. However, their issues have re-emerged in Australia.
Although Sergio Perez finished second at Albert Park, defending champion Max Verstappen once again failed to finish the race. During the 39th lap (out of 58 laps), Verstappen apparently got the smell of fluid and smoke and was advised by his team on the radio to bring the car to a halt. Once he got out of the car, it was evident that there was smoke and fire on the backside of the car. The fire extinguishers were rushed in and as a result, Verstappen could no longer take part in the race.
Last season, the team used Honda engine which turned out to be really successful. The Japanese outfit have however called time on their F1 return and Red Bull switched to in-house Red Bull Powertrains for their engine development.
They are using their brand new RB18 car which has been built to comply with F1’s overhauled technical regulations for 2022. It replaces the RB16B, Verstappen’s championship winning car. The striking new features in RB18 are larger wheels, low-profile tyres and swept wings. The car is heavier compared to previous versions, which is a common feature among all F1 2022 cars.
RB18 is powered by an updated version of the Honda engine which was used last season. The V6 turbo hybrid has been renamed as the ‘Red Bull Powertrains’ after Honda’s departure from F1.
Whatever the issues are, the team will be desperate to sort them out very soon if they are to challenge run-away leaders Ferrari for the Constructors’ championship title.
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