05/04/2023
NEWS STORY
George Russell has suggested that Red Bull is not showing its true potential in order that the sport doesn't somehow try to handicap its advantage.
Of course, attempting to 'nobble' a team that looks likely to dominate wouldn't be anything new, even before Drive to Survive the sport would seek to close any loopholes that might allow one team to run away with the championship.
With the RB19 looking to be pretty much unbeatable, and coming off the back of the Austrian team's domination in 2022, talking to the BBC's Chequered Flag podcast, Russell suggested that Red Bull might be holding back in a bid not to attract the attention of the sport's rule-makers.
"For sure they're holding back," he said. "They're almost embarrassed to show their full potential because the faster they seem globally the more the sport is going to try and hold them back somehow.
"Realistically they probably have seventh-tenths advantage over the field," he added. "Max has no reason to be pushing it, nor has Red Bull.
"They've done a really great job, to be fair to them, can't take anything away. We clearly have to up our game."
As it happens, some sections of the media believe that the various decisions taken on Sunday were justified, claiming that something, anything, is needed in order to prevent Red Bull "running away with the championship".
Presumably, it hasn't occurred to these people that perhaps rival teams should stop complaining and actually try to close the gap... at least as much as the budget cap will allow them.
"That's very generous of him," said Christian Horner, when told of Russell's claim. "His team of all people would know too well about those kind of advantages."
The Briton was no doubt referring to Paddy Lowe's admission that Mercedes regularly turned down its engine during qualifying in 2014 fearful of revealing its true advantage.
"There's always an element of managing that goes on in any race," added the Red Bull boss, according to Motorsport Week. "Because it was a one-stop race and a very early one-stop race, of course there was an element of tyre management which was going on, which was what they were doing.
"Checo wasn't hanging about, he wasn't cruising around, holding back seven-tenths per lap, because he didn't want to show it. The grid was certainly a little bit closer here."
No doubt Stefano, Pat Symonds and the boys are already working on a cunning plan.