Max from Jeddah: 'Learned a lot'

Published on 25 March 2022 by Niels Hendrix

Oracle Red Bull Racing's start of the season last week in Bahrain was a very unfortunate one with a double retirement in the closing stages of the race. "Of course that shouldn't happen", says Max, who nevertheless remains positive: "Despite not finishing the race, we learned a lot in Bahrain. We will try to put all the information immediately into practice here in Saudi Arabia. The circuit is different of course, but we got to know the car very well. We expected more but that has its reasons and we are trying to do better here."

The issue that brought both Red Bull to a standstill has been resolved. The cause turned out to be a vacuum that prevented the fuel pump from delivering fuel to the engine. "It was a new problem that we didn't encounter during the test days." Problems with his steering and brakes were also fixed. "They are all things that are quite easy to solve in my opinion. We have a very strong car, that does make it a bit easier."

In Bahrain, Max had an exhilarating battle with winner Charles Leclerc on the track. Was it easier than last year to follow close behind? Max says: "It was a bit easier to follow, but I think Bahrain is not the best example, because tyres overheat quickly there. Then when you are two laps behind someone, you start to slide, even if it is easier to follow. On circuits where the degradation of the tyres is not so high, you will be able to follow each other for a longer time. It did feel a bit better and I think that's why we were able to fight during a few laps."

Contest GP Saudi Arabia: win a by Max signed World Champion #1 cap!