Red Bull has now responded to Max Verstappen’s complaints about a noise he heard coming from his engine during Friday practice leading up to Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix.
After receiving complaints about “a noise” coming from his pool, Max Verstappen may have lost an engine for the season.
During the first practice session of the Mexican Grand Prix weekend, the Dutchman was dissatisfied with his power unit. Later in the day, Red Bull continued to use it for FP2, but he once more claimed to have heard a noise that disturbed him.
The team confirmed the engine in question has now been replaced ahead of Saturday’s third and last practice session of the weekend. Since the installed unit was already in his pool, there won’t be any penalties this weekend.
However, if that engine from his pool is lost and cannot be saved, he might have to compete in one of the season’s last races. Verstappen had complained about hearing “a weird noise” and having “no power” from that engine.
Red Bull used one of the two “jokers” that Formula One teams have each season, which permits them to violate curfew, to accommodate Verstappen’s modified power unit. This meant that some employees could work at the circuit overnight.
At a track where Red Bull has performed exceptionally well in recent years, the Dutchman hopes that switching engines will help him settle in more. Since 2017, he has won five of the previous six Formula One races at the high-altitude Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Even though Verstappen hasn’t won a Grand Prix since June, he was still able to increase his championship lead over his closest rival, Lando Norris, to 57 points last weekend in Austin. If the Brit wins in Mexico City on Sunday, he will have just four rounds left to close the gap.
A contentious penalty that Norris received for passing his title rival off the track caused him to lose. Although Verstappen’s aggressive defense during their duel was criticized by the British driver, the McLaren racer acknowledged that he is not as good as the Dutchman at wheel-to-wheel combat.
“Max is the best in the world at that style of attack and defense, and I’m up against the best in the world,” he stated. As a result, I need to be on par with him, but I am not. Although it is unfortunate to state, it is most likely the reality. For me, it’s an experience that will help me [get better].
“Max is teaching me. No one can push it to its limits and realize how much better he is at what he does. He is right and on the edge of his comfort zone 99 percent of the time. He meets the requirements that all drivers must meet.
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