P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Red Bull concede to ‘paying painful price’ in taking Max Verstappen ‘risk’
Laurent Mekies has admitted that Red Bull and Max Verstappen faced consequences for “taking risks” with the F1 champion’s car, leading to a disappointing qualifying session at São Paulo. Verstappen struggled with lack of grip on the RB21, resulting in a challenging race where he finished fourth despite starting from sixth on the grid. This was only the second time in Verstappen’s F1 career that he failed to advance from Q1 based on pace alone. Red Bull made significant changes to the car, including experimenting with different setups on Yuki Tsunoda’s car during the sprint, but these adjustments did not yield the desired improvements. Despite the setbacks, Mekies emphasized the team’s bold approach to racing, acknowledging the need to learn from the experience and strive for improvement in future races.
