Leading F1 journalist Peter Windsor joins Natalie Pinkham and Marc Priestley to review the Spanish GP on this week's F1 Report.
Thursday 18 May 2017 09:21, UK
Red Bull's relationship with Renault may leave the team unable to match Mercedes and Ferrari both in the long and short-term, according to this week's F1 Report guests.
Despite the introduction of their keenly anticipated upgrade package at the Spanish GP, Daniel Ricciardo finished almost 75 seconds behind race victor Lewis Hamilton at the Circuit de Catalunya with the former world champions remaining a distant third best to Mercedes and Ferrari.
Leading F1 journalist and broadcaster Peter Windsor believes the team, powered by Renault, may be handicapped by a fundamental flaw in their alliance with the French manufacturers.
"It's a massive amount and we do now have to say, 'Renault, where are you?,'" Windsor said. "The relationship between Andy Cowell's engine team at Mercedes and the chassis team is brilliant. Similarly, Ferrari have an engine man running the chassis. With Renault and Red Bull, there's a big wall. They don't have that level of integration. That's probably the problem.
"McLaren-Honda are a works team but they don't have that same integration - they also have that wall between them: here's the engine company, here's the chassis side.
"That's not how it is at Mercedes and not how it is at Ferrari. It's a huge long-term problem (for Red Bull). It's not going to be fixed overnight. It's to do with people, it's not to do with technology or budget."
A concurring Mark Priestley added: "That relationship was broken down systematically over a couple of years when Red Bull were openly critical of Renault. I think that's a big part of it. And Renault now have their own works team so Red Bull are, potentially, no longer their main focus.
"They are nowhere near challenging Mercedes and Ferrari."
Having effectively relaunched their RB13 car in Barcelona, Red Bull are now waiting for upgraded engines from Renault - although it's not yet clear when an improved power unit will be ready to race.
"What will be irritating for Red Bull is that Ferrari have gone down the Red Bull philosophy of car design - it's a relatively short wheelbase with a high rake," said Windsor. "They must be thinking, 'They've got our car now so it must be the engine' - and that can't be healthy for the relationship. "
Meanwhile, Windsor had some critical words for Valtteri Bottas after the Finn triggered a race-ending accident for Max Verstappen and Kimi Raikkonen at the first corner in Barcelona.
Although the race stewards cleared the Russian GP winner of any wrongdoing, Windsor argued: "I'm slightly staggered by how early he braked into the first corner. It's a bit of a reminder that Valtteri has had some rather weird moments in traffic, whether he's defending or attacking. It's a slight weak point for him.
"Lewis is so good in traffic and now that he has gone we are hearing about how much coaching Nico [Rosberg] required in traffic - about when to pass and when not to pass. They never have to say a word to Lewis because it is so natural to him."
Play the video above to watch the first corner incident again and then don't forget to tune into the F1 Report at 8.30pm on Wednesday night
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