Red Bull considering double PU-switch in Spa: 'Have to think about it'

F1 News

3 August 2021 at 15:49
Last update 3 August 2021 at 17:51
  • GPblog.com

The strike of luck for Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton will once again rear its head at Spa, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko predicts. He believes that the grid penalty for Bottas is not representative in light of the impact he made in Hungary. The underlying reason concerns the layout of Spa-Francorchamps, where the penalty comes into effect.

After his dramatic start, which suggests the driver might be better off making the switch to bowling rather than racing, Valtteri Bottas efficiently managed to sink his own as well as  Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez' races. The FIA penalised him on Sunday with a five-place grid penalty at Spa, where the next Grand Prix will take place.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, however, is not happy with this decision of the FIA and believes that even this will not put direct competitor Mercedes in trouble. Marko explains, in conversation with F1 Insider: "With a well-tuned Mercedes you made up those positions in two laps because there is hardly a track on which you can overtake better."

Red Bull parries

As a solution to this, Marko confirms that consideration is being given to replacing the PU of both Verstappen and Perez, in order to maximise their efforts to catch up with the best possible car. "You have to at least think about it," said the Austrian.