Horner: Melbourne should look at ways to improve overtaking
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes🥀 Formula 1 needs to look at ways to improve overtaking at the Austraꦛlian Grand Prix.
Despite the FIA’s efforts to bolster the spectacle by adding a third DRS zone to the Mel🍸bourne street circuit, only five overtakes were completed in the season-opening race following the first lap.
Red Bull team princ෴ipal Christian Horner believes Formula 1 needs to look at ways to improve overtaking at the Australian Grand Prix.
Despite the FIA’s efforts to bolster the spectacle by adding a third DRS zone to t💞he Melbourne street circuit, only five overtakes were completed in the season-opening race following the first lap.
The issue was highlighted in a number of fights up and down the field, including the battle to 𝔍seal the final podium spot. Daniel Ricciardo was visibly faster than Kimi Raikkonen after he closed in on the Ferrari man in the final laps, but the Australian was unable to find a way through.
“I think it should be looked at here. They’re doing something in Abu Dhabi and I think it should be looked at here if there is a simple solution to create a bigger braking zone,” Horn🌳er said.
“Maybe tighten Turn 1 up, som🅠ething like that, so there🍃 is a proper braking zone because the braking areas are too short, especially with the speeds the cars are capable of now.
“It’s extenuated here,” he added. “Bahrain you can overtake, China you can ov✨ertake. But it exposes you.”
Hamilton, who also found it impossible to find a way past Sebastian Vettel to re-take the lead of the race having been leapfrogged following a timing 🌺miscalculation under the Virtual Safety Car, said he could not have pulled off an overtake in order “to save his best friend’s life”.
“One thing for sure I don’t wanna lose this track. I think it’s such a great event, I love being here in Australia. I think it’s a really fantastic city, I love driving around Albert Par💙k," Hamilton explained.
“It is a sh♛ort track, it coul✅d be longer. They definitely I am sure could make adjustments to be able to us… another DRS but it happens to be the second hardest track of all the 21 to overtake. Monaco must be the first with this being the second.
“But if my best friend was on the edge of a cliff and I couldn’t get to him to save his life today that’s how hard it was 🃏to overtake, I couldn't for the life of me with everything, all my might, all my abilities, 𒉰all my tools, I just couldn’t get close enough to be in fighting range.”
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for mahbx.com around the world. Often reporting on the action from the𒊎 ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
