The VCARB 01 team is doing well in qualifying, with both cars making it into Q3 at Imola last weekend. But during the races, they are losing positions at the start, which makes it hard to catch up later.
Daniel Ricciardo talked about this issue, saying, “The starts, they’re hurting us at the moment. Honestly, I don’t know yet what the issue was. I didn’t feel like I botched it, as I felt like everything was going okay from the procedure, but we have to have a look. It’s so sensitive.”
Yuki Tsunoda also commented, saying, “It is kind of a topic for our team, we’re working hard. We are really working hard for the starts throughout the races so far. We have improved a little bit, but for sure we need a step more, because I would say consistency is not there. So, we have to look for the future.”
Tsunoda thinks there are several reasons why they are struggling. He mentioned tire preparation and consistency with the clutch. He also pointed out that Red Bull, using the same engine, can start consistently well.
The team principal, Laurent Mekies, believes that the problem lies in the repeatability of the starts. He mentioned that many factors need to come together for a good start, such as the clutch, driver procedures, and tires. Mekies acknowledged that the team has been inconsistent with their starts this year.
He said, “It’s like everything else in the car. We just need to do small steps altogether.”
