Verstappen concerned about tire degradation in Bahrain

A different hierarchy in Bahrain? Despite McLaren’s dominance at the start of the season (36-point lead over Mercedes in the constructors’ standings), several uncertainties loom over the fourth round of the season in Bahrain, particularly regarding tire degradation. In any case, this is what Max Verstappen thinks. The Red Bull driver won the last Grand Prix at the Suzuka circuit. However, that track had low degradation, and he expects a different scenario this weekend.

For the triple world champion, Red Bull will have more difficulties this weekend. The Dutchman has identified tire degradation as one of the weaknesses of the Austrian car, an element that has been observed at the start of this season, particularly in Australia when the quadruple world champion gave up his second place to Oscar Piastri and was then unable to keep up with the two orange cars.

An even more significant advantage for McLaren this weekend?

The Red Bull driver also indicated that the Woking team should have the advantage in Bahrain, as the McLaren MCL39 has an edge in managing tire degradation over a stint. Facing the high temperatures, the Dutch driver stated that the overheating issues experienced in Australia could reoccur in Bahrain, on a circuit that has seen no changes to the track since its opening in 2004.

« It will be harsher. During the first stint in Australia, we were literally destroyed with overheating, and the same in China », he even mentioned to the media, including Planet F1. « I would say that it was also the case to a certain extent in Suzuka, but we couldn’t overtake because Lando was getting closer to me at the end of the first stint. I was just driving at my pace, but I think the drop in track temperature that day helped us a bit. Here, it’s going to be hot. We race at night, so it will cool down a bit, but it’s still hot – with aggressive asphalt. »

« On paper, based on what we’ve seen this season, it’s not ideal for us compared to McLaren. But it’s up to us to find improvements on the car or in the tire behavior and go from there. » The Dutchman and Red Bull received a boost last week by winning the Japanese Grand Prix ahead of the two McLarens. Good news for the Dutchman, although he knows that the team still needs to work to regularly replicate this kind of performance on all types of tracks.

« It’s a good motivation for the team, but we’re still looking to quickly improve our car. It’s nice to have this little boost, but we’re very aware of our limits and know that we still need to work on them. I hope we can make slight progress each weekend. Looking closely, McLaren is more versatile, and it also seems easier to set up their car. The season is still very long, we have a lot to work on with the car, and we hope to make it gradually more competitive. »

Pirelli seeks to find solutions to tire degradations.

Doubt looms in every team as the Bahrain round approaches, especially since Pirelli has introduced softer C2 and C3 tires this year, which heat up even faster. Proper tire management will therefore be the crucial element during the race on Sunday to avoid blistering. Last season, Max Verstappen won by making two pit stops. Pirelli expects a similar scenario, although the Italian manufacturer has not ruled out the possibility of a one-stop strategy.

To mitigate this overheating phenomenon, the FIA authorities have decided to increase the tire pressure by 0.5 psi compared to the winter test sessions on the same track. Many unknowns surround this weekend, making this Grand Prix more captivating than ever.