Pink Bull group principal Laurent Mekies says the delay to the beginning of the Belgian Grand Prix stunned the group after it opted for a moist climate setup on its vehicles.
Max Verstappen received the Dash on Saturday with a low downforce setup, making use of excessive high pace in dry situations. With rain forecast for Sunday, Pink Bull then modified its method in qualifying primarily based on the climate, however 90 minutes handed between the unique try to start out the race after which lastly racing on a drying monitor, with no person doing greater than ten racing laps on the intermediates earlier than switching to slicks.
“I feel we’re all stunned by how late now we have began the race,” Mekies mentioned. “I am certain the FIA had its personal concerns, however definitely for us as a group it stunned us, as a result of basically we waited not just for the rain to cease, but in addition for just about the solar to return out, after which we nonetheless had many laps behind the security automobile.
“So, once more, I am certain the FIA had its personal causes. In our particular case, having biased our vehicles in direction of the rain, for certain it is costing us efficiency. But it surely’s a part of the sport.”
Mekies identified how troublesome overtaking proved in dry situations all through the weekend as displaying the alternative set-up method was required to have the ability to make progress, as Max Verstappen was restricted to fourth place behind Charles Leclerc.
“Clearly, the truth that we received so little moist working did not assist. It is one thing that we had made fairly heavy decisions, fascinated by a moist race. In the long run, the rain got here, however we did not get many nice racing [laps]. So, for certain, it has an affect on the race, it is a part of the sport.
“I feel, on the dries, there was little or no chance to overhaul. On the finish of the day, Max has spent each second lap in Charles’ gearbox. I do not suppose, on the dries, now we have seen many overtaking strikes at this race. And, with our decisions on downforce, it might have been unlikely that we’d have been in a position to cross them within the dry.
“So, it’s what it’s. You begin fourth, get overwhelmed by three thousandths of a second by Charles [in qualifying], and end fourth.”
The dry working additionally harm Yuki Tsunoda’s probabilities of scoring factors, after Mekies admitted a group error value him his place within the high ten and he was unable to regain these positions.
“So, for Yuki, it was our mistake. We wished to pit him on the identical lap as Max, and every thing was prepared, the crew was out, every thing was able to get each vehicles, and we merely known as him too late. So it is on us, sadly, and one lap made an enormous distinction, so he misplaced, I feel, three or 4 positions, which finally stopped his battle for the factors.”
