Different strategies for Red Bull in the race

Against his will, Red Bull will start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with two different strategies on Sunday. Both qualified on the third row, Daniel Ricciardo (5e) and Max Verstappen (6e) indeed experienced opposite qualifications.

The Australian, who will start his 100th and final GP with the Austrian team at Yas Marina, is immersed in " the fun ". “It was a very pleasant session. We moved into Q3 with the ultra-soft tires, which was our goal for the day. There is a big gap between the ultra and the hyper soft, maybe a second per lap; we had to achieve a perfect ultra lap”, explains the future Renault F1 driver.

Bulls lock row three in Abu Dhabi #Which result: HAM, BOT, VET, RAI, Daniel P5, Max P6, GRO, LEC, OCO, HUL. #AbuDhabiGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/GOFx1612vc

- Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) November 24, 2018

Indeed, the rubbers used to sign the time of Q2 must then be re-worn at the start of the race. Daniel Ricciardo will start with the ultra soft, less adherent than the hyper, but more enduring. 

For Max Verstappen, it's the exact opposite. The Dutchman suffered a few cold sweats at the end of Q2, and was forced to ride the hyper softs to ensure his place among the top 10. No smiles from the young man. “I’m not super happy. In Q3, I had to cool the tires to improve grip. 

That's what we tried but it didn't work. I aborted my second attempt, I was slipping everywhere, especially in the last sector », which is normally Red Bull's strong point. Max Verstappen preferred to concentrate on the choice of tires for the start on Sunday.

Qualifying didn't go to plan. Hopefully our car balance is a bit better tomorrow. We'll try our best to move forward during the race! #KeepPushing #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/Fe33h60yhX

- Max Verstappen (@ Max33Verstappen) November 24, 2018

“Going with the hyper softs was not the initial plan but it could be interesting. I will be on a different tactic than the other pilots, that could help (to come back). Overtaking is a bit difficult to achieve here. We will have to count on the help of strategy and a little success to finish at the top on Sunday”, he analyzes. 

Christian Horner, for his part, is not at all worried about his two drivers. “Our pace over the long relays as well as the degradation of our envelopes are good, we will undoubtedly be at the heart of the fight (For victory) tomorrow. »