Gear box issues halts Verstappen in Austin: “Such a pity”

Published on 24 October 2016 by Mike Motilall

Max Verstappen didn’t manage to get to the checkered flag of the United States Grand Prix as a result of gear box issues on his Red Bull Racing-car. On lap 30, the Dutchman, running in sixth at that moment, had to park his car alongside the track after a bad pitstop. Lewis Hamilton claimed victory on the Circuit of the Americas, ahead of team mate Rosberg who remains leader in the championship standings. Daniel Ricciardo rounded up the podium.

“Unfortunately we had an issue with the gear box. Such a pity”, the Dutchman says after dropping out very disappointingly. “Suddenly something started banging in the engine then I lost all power. The first stint also didn’t go very well”, says Max after the race. “I was running with too much front wing on the car and had a lot of oversteer. At first I wasn’t able to turn the car in.When I stopped, the team fixed it and then the balance was ok. Then the team told me to manage my tyres, but as a racing driver you want to finish as close to the top as possible. That’s why I overtook Kimi. When I ended up behind of Rosberg, it was difficult to get closer because he was behind of Ricciardo. The pace was good, I was able to follow the drivers in front of me quite easily. But you are stuck behind of them and cannot run your own race. At a certain point, I just dropped back to save my tyres. About some three seconds off Nico’s pace, and that worked out fine.”

The failed pit stop was a curious moment as his team was not ready for him. “That pit stop was terrible, it was an enormous miscommunication. The lap before my pit stop, the team told me to push hard. I took this as an indication to come in to the pits. Then I pitted and realized that they didn’t want me in yet. It was definitely my mistake. After that I still had, in the back of my mind, that all was not lost, because I immediately had a good pace. Until the gear box issue. Regarding the pace, we were good today, the only thing is we got stuck behind of other cars and then you are not able to do your own race.”

Verstappen dropping out was a double whammy for Red Bull Racing as this cost Ricciardo the second place. “I was able to shut the car down earlier but the team told me to keep on driving”, Max explains. “I then told them that I had a serious problem, so they told me to park the car alongside the track. When I got out, the car was in neutral, but suddenly it was stuck in gear. We pushed on the neutral button but that didn’t help. Otherwise we could have pushed the car back. Unfortunately that triggered the virtual safety car, causing Daniel to lose second place to Rosberg.”

Verstappen, Hamilton and Rosberg are the only ones in the top ten on the softs. The Dutchman has a decent start, although Raikkonen gets the better of him in the first corner. Vettel also tries to snatch fifth from him to no avail, he stays ahead of the German. Bottas and Hulkenberg have to pit because of a collision between them in the first corner, as Kvyat also sends Perez spinning.

On lap six, the youngster goes purple in all sectors, indicating he is hunting Raikkonen’s fourth place. On lap eight, both Ricciardo and Raikkonen, both having started on the super softs, pit for the soft compound tyre. This puts Verstappen in third, three seconds off Rosberg’s pace. One lap later the Dutchman pits for the soft compound. With a do or die action, he manages to make little work of Button in his out-lap. He then sets his sight on Raikkonen’s fifth place. On lap thirteen, he manages to overtake the Finn with a great move at the end of the long straight. This turns to fourth place when Vettel does his first stop.

Verstappen slowly catches up with Rosberg, who is running in third on the mediums. Lap after lap he is within DRS-range of the German, but is unable to overtake due to the higher top speed. Determined to get the German, he reports on the radio: “I am not here to finish fourth”. Still he needs drop back in order to save his tyres. On lap 27 Verstappen pits and witnesses a total confusion. The team is not expecting him in and the Dutchman is forced to wait a few seconds before he gets some fresh tyres strapped on. Max is the last one to admit that it was his mistake: “Sorry, I thought I heard I needed to come in”, he explains on the radio. He rejoins the field in seventh where he relegates Massa from his sixth position.

On lap30, Verstappen’s car start to protest on the long straight. “I think I have an engine problem. Something is knocking in the engine”, he reports on the radio, and forced to park his car alongside the track. His first dropout after Monaco is now undeniable. After the race it is announced that it is a gear box issue. During the virtual safety car situation that followed, Hamilton and Rosberg both pit. As a result of Rosberg’s free pit stop, Ricciardo is demoted to the third spot.

Raikkonen falls victim to failed pit stop from Ferrari on lap 39. As a result of a wheel not being fully secured, he is forced to park his alongside the track at the end of the pit lane, heading on to the circuit. Alonso manages to pass Massa for the sixth spot, despite both cars hitting each other. Carlos Sainz is at that moment running in fifth in his Toro Rosso. Alonso, however, makes little work of him in the penultimate lap and snatches his position.

At the front of the field, Hamilton reels in his 50th victory. Rosberg finishes a mere five seconds off his pace in second place. He remains leader in the standings by 26 points. Ricciardo rounds up the podium, with Vettel and Alonso in fourth and fifth.

United States Grand Prix - Circuit of the Americas - Sunday 23 October

Race Results

01 44 Lewis Hamilton      Mercedes                   	56 1:38:12.618 
02  6 Nico Rosberg        Mercedes                   	56 +4.520s
03  3 Daniel Ricciardo    Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer  	56 +19.692s
04  5 Sebastian Vettel    Ferrari                    	56 +43.134s
05 14 Fernando Alonso     McLaren Honda              	56 +93.953s
06 55 Carlos Sainz        Toro Rosso Ferrari         	56 +96.124s
07 19 Felipe Massa        Williams Mercedes          	55 +1 lap
08 11 Sergio Perez        Force India Mercedes       	55 +1 lap
09 22 Jenson Button       McLaren Honda              	55 +1 lap
10  8 Romain Grosjean     Haas Ferrari               	55 +1 lap
11 20 Kevin Magnussen     Renault                    	55 +1 lap
12 26 Daniil Kvyat        Toro Rosso Ferrari         	55 +1 lap
13 30 Jolyon Palmer       Renault                    	55 +1 lap
14  9 Marcus Ericsson     Sauber Ferrari             	55 +1 lap
15 12 Felipe Nasr         Sauber Ferrari             	55 +1 lap
16 77 Valtteri Bottas     Williams Mercedes          	55 +1 lap
17 94 Pascal Wehrlein     MRT Mercedes               	55 +1 lap
18 31 Esteban Ocon        MRT Mercedes               	54 +2 laps
NC  7 Kimi Räikkönen      Ferrari                    	38 DNF
NC 33 Max Verstappen      Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer  	28 DNF
NC 21 Esteban Gutierrez   Haas Ferrari               	16 DNF
NC 27 Nico Hulkenberg     Force India Mercedes       	1  DNF