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RB18 now suits Verstappen better: "But was not the aim of development"
- GPblog.com
Sergio Perez started the season promisingly, but since the Canadian Grand Prix, the 32-year-old driver seems to have lost it a bit. As we all know, it has to do with the fact that the RB18 has now been further developed, which is to Max Verstappen's advantage. This has not been done to necessarily accommodate Verstappen's wishes, but more because the RB18 asked for it.
RB18 now more in favour of Verstappen
At Red Bull Racing, they make no secret of the fact that Verstappen is now a lot happier with the car, while the opposite is true for Perez. However, the Austrian racing stable denies that the decision was made to develop more towards Verstappen because he would be the number one driver within the team. According to Pierre Waché, it is more of a coincidence than pre-planned that Verstappen is better off with the updates implemented.
"When we develop the bolide, we aim for the best performance development. It suits Max more now, but that was not the aim of the development. It was about developing the car further," Waché is quoted by Motorsport-Magazin.com . The development of the current car was therefore purely about where the most gains could be made, rather than which driver it would benefit. Whereas initially the RB18 mainly understeered frequently, oversteer is now seen more often. The latter is to the reigning world champion's advantage.
Of the last eight Grands Prix, six were won by Verstappen, while Perez has only managed to climb the podium twice in as many participations in recent months. According to Waché, Perez is losing some time on the tarmac because he is not able to exploit the RB18's full potential and has to compromise to at least have a good balance. "It does not mean it is a lot [performance loss], but it is something," he said.