The Max Verstappen Brazil GP weekend was another intriguing turn in the never-ending game of chess in Formula 1 that is played by a combination of strategy and precision. Once he left the pitlane and blasted into the lead, Verstappen appeared to have everything to execute one of the comebacks he has made famous at Interlagos. But then, Red Bull made the risk to pitstop him during the last lap when he was leading actually giving up first place to have a chance to win the podium.
Fans were divided over it. Was it the right move? Did Verstappen withhold Lando Norris and Andrea Kimi Antonelli on tyres that had been worn out? Or was Red Bull playing safe in a race that had been determined by tyre wear and by long-term calculation and not naked velocity? Let’s break it down.
With the form of a setup change after qualifying troubles, but beginning at the pitlane, the Brazil GP by Verstappen was an uphill battle. However, as the four-time world champion did, he was not waiting long before he started passing through the pack. He scratched his way to the top of the leading pack by the mid point and when Norris made a second stop at the end of lap 50, Verstappen took over.
The Red bull at this time was in strategic dilemma. Verstappen had used medium tyres and completed 16 laps, a distance surpassed by Norris who was racing closely behind him, had used new C3 compounds. The Dutchman maintained a seven second lead but in the two laps, the margin was narrowing.
At lap 54 when Norris was closing in to 6.5 seconds Red Bull made their decision. Verstappen made one last stop where he changed his tired medium tyres to soft tyres. The movement put him back to fourth place but positioned him to make a late charge on newer rubber.
That accusation soon came to pass. Verstappen caught George Russell down the road, who was having issues with brakes on his Mercedes, and sent him back to third in a procedural overtake. This was a typical Verstappen move: daring, accurate and timely.
However, there was a question, whether he might have remained out and struggled on his part a little longer.
Red bull team principal Laurent Mekies was swift to clarify why they did the pitstop. No, we do not believe we could have won it, he, said. There was no way to continue with P1, when you just looked at the degradation of the tyres and the position you were in.
Data backed up his statement. After Norris was clocking low 1m13s laps with Verstappen on the worn mediums he was well into the 1m14s laps. That lag in pace would have been unconquerable in over 16 laps. Being out could have exposed Verstappen to being overtaken by both Norris and the charging Mercedes lead by Antonelli who had been catching up fast before the pit stop.
It was not an old-fashioned appeal, but a 300-caliber one. Red Bull realised that they were losing a victory, but the second best thing would be a podium finish, stay off a tyre cliff and get precious points.
The young Italian star of the Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, had a larger part in the plan of Verstappen than he had appeared. At one time, Antonelli was 12 seconds behind Verstappen when the latter pitted, and the leader was also lapping him on also fresher tyres. Verstappen could have been overtaken by the young driver in the last laps had he not left the track.
In the meantime Norris was persistuous. AS soon as Verstappen drove into the pits, the lap times by the McLaren pilot supported the fears of Red Bull. Damage on the mediums of Verstappen would have rendered him helpless in the later stages.
Even McLaren chef Andrew Stella acknowledged that he was glad that Red Bull did the call. First of all, I was hoping Verstappen would pit it was showing that our life got easier! he joked. However, in the real world, there was high degradation. The tyres simply were wearing out of rubber.
Max Verstappen Brazil GP may not have been a victory but a communication of tactics of Red Bull to adapt and make the best of situations in a national crisis. The promotion of Verstappen after the pitlane to third place proven his unrelenting consistency, but the decision-making by the Red Bull, even though being somewhat conservative, was data and reality-based.
Risk management was superior to bravado in a race that was characterised by tyre wear. The last pitstop to Verstappen was not a give up, but a mastery of tactics that has brought about the best outcome possible on a disturbing day.
And when Lando Norris managed to score in Brazil, the third place of Verstappen was a good reminder to all that though some victory was stolen, the Dutchman and Red Bull is always planning long-term – and that is why they remain the standard.
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