Featured Image Credit: Getty / Sky Sports
Topics: Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Red Bull Racing, Formula 1
Ryan Smart
Topics: Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Red Bull Racing, Formula 1
Max Verstappen finished 22 seconds behind race winner Lando Norris at the Dutch Grand Prix - and the reason for most of that time loss has been revealed.
The Dutchman qualified second in the Red Bull behind Norris, but got a far cleaner start and overtook his rival before turn one.
But the McLaren was far easier on its tyres and strong out of the traction zones, meaning Norris could close the gap to Verstappen and re-passed him on lap 18 for the lead.
The Brit would not relinquish that advantage for the remainder of the race, and eventually secured a dominant second Grand Prix victory of his career.
There may be concerns at Red Bull about the car's recent performance, with the team beginning to slip behind McLaren, Mercedes and even Ferrari in recent weeks.
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Verstappen still leads the Drivers' Championship by 70 points ahead of Norris with nine races to go, but having not won in five Grands Prix, the Dutchman may soon start to look over his shoulder.
However, one reason for his 22-second gap to the race winner at his home race in Zandvoort has been revealed.
According to The Race's Mark Hughes, Verstappen is believed to have used an old spec floor on his Red Bull which cost him around two tenths per lap.
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It is claimed that the Dutchman did so in order to gain valuable data for the rest of the season, with team-mate Sergio Perez using the newer spec floor.
Hughes also says that Red Bull added significant amounts of downforce to both cars to attempt to improve its tyre wear, although it turned out that tyre wear in the Grand Prix was less than expected so that had little effect.
It is claimed, therefore, that the time loss from the front wing was 'greater' than the loss from the old spec floor.
However, Red Bull believe that even with more practice time - FP3 was heavily disrupted by Logan Sargeant's crash - and different parts, they still would not have matched McLaren.
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Speaking after the Grand Prix, Verstappen admitted that second place was the best he could have hoped for at Zandvoort, given the pace of the McLaren.
He said: "We tried everything we could today. But throughout the race, I think it was quite clear that we weren't quick enough, so I tried to be second today.
"I know that we have good starts so I was quite confident that we would have another one.
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"Then I just tried to do my own race, and that was my race. That was second today."