The Max Downforce Factor

The need to run low downforce to boost straight-line speed in Baku caused the tyre problems that ruined the Red Bull’s European Grand Prix. Daniel Ricciardo started from the front row but had to pit to exchange his graining super-softs for softs on lap six of 51 and then return for mediums on lap 22. That consigned him to a seventh-place finish, with team-mate Max Verstappen encountering the same issues in eighth.

Chasing straight-line speed requires taking downforce off the car; the Red Bull’s were effectively running Monza levels of downforce. The low downforce and high ambient temperatures allowed the car to move around enough to grain the tyres. Ricciardo reported that he had wheelspin in fourth and fifth gears. The tyres were simply getting too hot to generate any grip. However, in the end, Red Bull might have stumbled on a fix for tracks later this year. With the Tag Heuer (Renault) engine performance vastly improved, they might still become a factor.