Honda clipping "skewed" Red Bull's speed deficit in Sochi
Red Bull boss Christian Horner says the team's straightline deficit at the Russian Grand Prix was "skewed" by Honda's power unit running out of battery deployment on the long straights.
The nature of the Sochi circuit, with very few heavy braking zones and long flat-out sections, make it hard for the turbo hybrid engines to recover enough power throughout each lap to run at maximum boost for the entire length of the circuit.
That results in what is known as 'clipping' - when the power unit runs out of the extra 160hp battery boost towards the end of the straights.
With Red Bull having sent a radio message to Max Verstappen that he was losing six tenths of a second on the straights to race leader Valtteri Bottas, it was clear where the Mercedes advantage lay.
But Horner says that the performance in Russia was not representative of how the Honda stacks up at other venues where energy recovery is easier.
"I think this circuit was always going to be difficult for us," explained Horner. "We had quite a lot of clipping here and I think that has an effect.
"So I think it was sort of skewed by that energy recovery. But we knew that before we got here. So it was always going to be a more challenging race for us."
Horner was in no doubt Mercedes had the quicker car in Russia, so Verstappen's runner up position was probably better than the team could realistically have hoped for anyway.
"I think Mercedes had a faster car than us this weekend," he said. "Obviously we've benefited from Lewis's penalty, but I think, Max has just extracted every ounce of performance out of the car throughout the weekend. It's our best result here in the six years that we've been coming."
Asked if he felt Verstappen was actually outperforming the car at the moment, Horner replied: "Well, a car will only go as fast as somebody can drive it.
"We know that Max is driving at a very high level: we know that Lewis is capable of doing the same. Max, his qualifying lap in particular was sensational, and in the race he made no mistakes at all. It was a very mature and measured performance."
Related video
Was Hamilton's Sochi defeat inevitable even without penalties?
The Sochi tech tweaks amid the midfield arms race
Why Red Bull can win a Spanish GP that looked perfect for Ferrari
Formula 1's return to Spain on Friday ended with Ferrari leading the way from Mercedes, while Red Bull could only manage third fastest overall courtesy of Max Verstappen. But its chances of victory are far from remote with a deeper dig into the times despite Ferrari's strong start...
The key aspects of Porsche and Audi's planned F1 entries
The VW Group’s German superpowers of sportscar racing have all but confirmed they are coming to F1 when the next set of engine rules come into force in 2026. Here's why both manufacturers are all set to take the plunge, and crucially how it might work
How Vegas went from byword for F1 indifference to grand Liberty coup
Holding a race in Las Vegas – party central, a city of dreams and decadence and, yes, more than a smattering of tackiness – has been on Liberty Media’s most-wanted list since it acquired Formula 1’s commercial rights. But, as LUKE SMITH explains, F1 has been here before and the relationship didn’t work out
Why de Vries' FP1 outing could add a new path to his current crossroads
A Formula 2 and Formula E champion, Nyck de Vries is currently considering where his future in motorsport lies. Continuing in WEC and Formula E is possible and he's also courted glances Stateside after impressing in an IndyCar test. But ahead of his Formula 1 FP1 debut with Williams, he could have another option if he impresses...
Why Leclerc's crash shouldn't put off F1 drivers tasting history
OPINION: For a demo run ahead of Monaco's Historique Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was blessed with the opportunity to drive Niki Lauda's former Ferrari 312B3 - but a brake failure at Rascasse suggested Leclerc's Monaco hoodoo transcended contemporary F1. Although an awkward incident, Leclerc deserves credit for embracing F1's history.
Why the lack of "needle" between Red Bull and Ferrari is a mirage
OPINION: The fight for the 2022 Formula 1 world titles between Red Bull and Ferrari so far features little of the public animosity that developed between the former and Mercedes last year. But that isn’t to say things are full on friendly or won’t get much worse very quickly…
The underdog F1 squad that thrust Senna into the limelight
The Toleman TG184 was the car that could, according to legend, have given Ayrton Senna his first F1 win but for Alain Prost and Jacky Ickx at Monaco in 1984. That could be stretching the boundaries of the truth a little, but as STUART CODLING explains, the team's greatest legacy was in giving the Brazilian prodigy passed over by bigger outfits an opportunity
Why Aston Martin is unlikely to repeat Jaguar’s F1 mistakes
Two famous manufacturer teams born out of humble midfield origins, splashing the cash while attempting to rise to the top of F1 in record time. There are clear parallels between Lawrence Stroll’s Aston Martin and the doomed Jaguar Racing project of 22 years ago, but Mark Gallagher believes struggling Aston can avoid a similar fate.