Red Bull reliable enough for the title?

Red Bull Racing still does not occupy the top of the manufacturer rankings. However, the Milton Keynes team obtained five poles in as many meetings but sometimes had difficulty finishing. Above all, the RB6 of Sebastian Vettel, declared candidate in the race for the title of World Champion, suffered from reliability problems on three occasions. Is the German driver aggressive with his car Or does it prefer performance too much to reliability?

In Bahrain, during the first Grand Prix of the season, Sebastian Vettel was slowed down in the middle of the race by a defective spark plug, while he was in the lead. Suffering from a lack of power, he had to let three opponents pass and finished fourth.

In Australia, the German driver was betrayed by a wheel nut and, while he was still in control of the Grand Prix, this time he had to retire after leaving the track. In Spain, last Sunday, the vice-World Champion had to deal with a broken brake disc, forcing him to take enormous precautions to avoid ending up sideways and scoring the points for third place.

« I think when you push the limits, these kinds of things can happen », Confided Christian Horner, team manager of Red Bull Racing, in Barcelona. The Milton Keynes team, by pushing these limits, sometimes ends up adopting extreme solutions to ensure that its car is as efficient as possible. But, in return, the RB6 could suffer in terms of reliability. Last Sunday, in Barcelona, ​​it was the brakes which showed signs of fatigue.

« The problem was quite strange, confides Christian Horner. The left brake (front wheel) stopped working completely, the disc had broken in two. It therefore only had three brakes and it was therefore transferred to the rear. He used aerodynamics to brake and took a lot of room in his braking zones. He did incredibly well, and to bring the car back to third place is a great performance. »

However, Red Bull Racing must rely on the tenacity and self-sacrifice of its drivers to stay in the title race. Indeed, if Sebastian Vettel had not insisted on continuing to drive on Sunday, he could (should?) have retired and lost the points for third place in the Spanish GP. “ They told me to give up because the risk was too great », Confided the German this week. “ I then asked them if it was really necessary to abandon or if I could drive slowly to secure the points. Having received no response, I continued driving. »

If this disk rupture problem seems isolated, these glitches begin to accumulate. By the admission of the entire paddock, the Red Bull-Renault is for the moment, by far, the most efficient single-seater on the grid. But, for Red Bull to continue to fight in the race for world titles, Christian Horner's team must provide Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel with a car that is impeccable in terms of reliability. At this time of the season, on this side, the Milton Keynes team has not achieved its objective.