Qualifications that end in disappointment for Red Bull
The practice sessions were not converted into qualifying success by the Austrian team. With Max Verstappen 7th and Daniel Ricciardo 12th, Red Bull is far from the objectives announced at the beginning of the weekend.
With the penalties incurred by Daniel Ricciardo at Hockenheim to arrive in Hungary with a brand new engine, the tone was set by Red Bull. On the winding track of the Hungaroring, the lack of power from the Renault engine handicapped the bull-branded car much less, raising hopes of dethroning the Mercedes and Ferraris from the first two rows.
Friday gave the men from Milton Keynes reason to be optimistic. Daniel Ricciardo set the fastest lap in the first session, while Max Verstappen finished second in the afternoon, just a whisker behind Sebastian Vettel.
Things took a turn for the worse from the last practice session. While Ferrari and Mercedes managed to make progress in their setups, allowing their drivers to improve their times, Red Bull gained a meager tenth. This slight improvement already seemed to doom them to a third row start on a dry track.
As the qualifiers approached, rain brought a smile to the Austrian team. Speaking to Canal +, team director Christian Horner stated, “It’s fantastic for us.” We then wonder what went through the minds of the team’s engineers in Q1 when they sent Ricciardo back on the track with soft tires while the entire field was on ultrasofts.
Ricciardo is back in the drop zone!
LIVE NOW on Sky Sports F1
📺 Sky Go: https://t.co/fxH1316WnM
🗒️ Blog: https://t.co/SzGssX5IJr
#SkyF1 #F1 #HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/ELFglGQn7b— Sky Sports F1 🏎 (@SkySportsF1) 28 juillet 2018
Fortunately, this questionable strategy did not hinder the team’s progress. Max Verstappen in 2nd and Daniel Ricciardo in 12th both advanced to Q2. At the start of the second part of qualifying, hesitation reigned. Should they try slick tires again or keep a watchful eye on the dark clouds looming over the third sector?
Verstappen and Ricciardo are sent back on track on slicks like 99% of the field, only Vettel goes solo on intermediates. This choice is the best as rain falls in the last sector, the Red Bull drivers join in the parade of cars returning to the pits.
The Dutchman was the second to take to the track and therefore went back through the pits behind Hamilton, allowing him to make two successful attempts to reach third position in Q2. The Australian wasn’t so lucky, and his qualifications ended in Q2 in 12th place. He owes his position to an incident on the track: “In my first lap, the one that should have counted at the end, [Lance] Stroll spun in front of me and I had to abort my attempt.”
Subsequently, the worsening conditions doomed Ricciardo. For the following laps, the track was too wet, and in the final sector, it was just a matter of survival. We switched to wet tires, but it wasn’t enough. It was more about bad luck than a poor strategy.
Chaotic Q2 as the weather worsens 💧 Max goes through to Q3 in P3 with a 1:31.178 but Daniel ends the session in P12 with a 1:36.442 😔 🇭🇺 #HungarianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/pwdR7wYd0M
— Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) 28 juillet 2018
Last survivor in Q3, the team’s hopes rested on Max Verstappen. Usually very comfortable in the rain, akin to his demonstration at the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2016, the Dutchman did not display the same flair in Hungary.
He managed to be the first to have the best visibility but showed a serious lack of grip. « My main problem was grip, especially in Q3. My feeling with the intermediates wasn’t bad but when we switched to wets it became complicated. »
In the end, the conditions that seemed so favorable for the team turned out to be their biggest problem. « I think, because of the rain, we missed the opportunity to have a very good qualifying, so it’s frustrating. »
