In the run-up to the late start of the season in Austria, some teams decided to run their driver (s) for several laps. Some teams opted for a two-year-old car, some for the current car. Red Bull also chose last week for the car that will be raced in Austria in a week.
At Silverstone, Alexander Albon was given the honor of getting into the Red Bull RB16 to finish a ‘movie day’, where he was allowed to drive a maximum of 100 kilometers. Due to the corona restrictions in Great Britain, Max Verstappen had to pass up the day.
At Silverstone Red Bull also extensively trained to test the new protocols that were created because of the coronavirus. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner says: “It was fantastic to see the car back on track,” he said in a conversation with Ziggo Sport.
“You realize why you are doing all this. The RB16 in action, with beautiful weather at Silverstone, it was great. The test was also meant for the men in the team, to become familiar with the new procedures and rules that must be met. “
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“The mouth masks took some getting used to,” continues Horner. “Especially when it is warm, it feels oppressive. The boys in the team all know their role so well, sometimes a look is enough. You lose that now with those masks. We have to get used to it, it felt different. We also have to wear these masks on the pit wall, so it was good to train this, “said the Briton.
Max Verstappen was therefore not present at the test at Silverstone, because he had to be quarantined for two weeks. However, his absence has not been to the disadvantage of the Dutchman, Horner thinks. In fact, Verstappen has tested more than enough in other ways.
“When British quarantine rules became known, we spoke to Max. It wouldn’t make sense to isolate him in Britain for two weeks before he was allowed to drive the car. During that time, he was able to achieve much more in other ways He drove different cars on different tracks, “the team boss acknowledges.
“It would therefore not make sense to let him drive only fifty kilometers, something that he also covered after five laps on the Red Bull Ring. A test day on show tires, that would not give him any advantage, especially not at all of two weeks in quarantine, “is the conclusion of Horner.
Will we have the titanic battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton? Can we even smooth out Ferrari? These and other questions are discussed in detail in RacingNews365’s latest podcast with F1 journalist Ruud Dimmers, racing driver Tom Coronel and host Thomas van Groningen.
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