For Christian Horner and the team he heads, Red Bull Racing, the resumption of the season has already materialized in a concrete way on the track, with the tests carried out at Silverstone on Thursday.
The Austrian team rolled 100 kilometers of this year’s car, with Alex Albon only. Max Verstappen not being in the United Kingdom, he would have had to undergo a fortnight due to the Covid before he could move around the country.
But Horner sees things on the bright side anyway.
“There was something incredibly satisfying about hearing the RB16 come back to life in the Silverstone garage. It was the first time in 118 days that it could hit the track. Obviously we hadn’t was able to race in Melbourne, which seems to be so far already, and FIA regulations limit the time available for testing, so this was the first outing since the Barcelona tests which ended on February 28, “ emphasizes the Briton.
“Alex has covered 100 kilometers, which is just over 30 laps at the Silverstone National Circuit and I think it has helped him get back into the racing mindset before next week’s. We don’t have the luxury of being able to track cars from two years ago due to the change in engine manufacturer, so it wasn’t worth it to ride with the two drivers because there just weren’t enough laps and since Alex was in the UK and has less F1 experience, we chose to run him. “
“But the day was as much for the team as for the driver, because they learned to work with the COVID-19 prevention measures in place. They were also able to train at pit stops, and they even managed stops less than 2 seconds. We were also able to review the new starting grid procedures for the resumption of the season. “
This session was training before the resumption in Austria but it was also very symbolic for Horner.
“Seeing the car on track at Silverstone was an important moment for me. It really struck me because we could see the hard work that has continued since the end of the break to bring changes to the car and that underscored our team spirit and the strength of the people and partners we have at Red Bull Racing. “
“During the confinement, we all faced new challenges, but I was delighted with the team’s response, including the incredible commitment to the Pitlane project (artificial respirators). When we returned to work at the factory, we asked our staff even more. “
“We have a strong workforce with long-standing and experienced members, as well as young talent that we are looking out for in the future. We are also very fortunate to have long-standing partners who are excellent. They have also all been incredibly flexible throughout this difficult time. Without our suppliers, an F1 just doesn’t spin. “
“These many technology partners, whose work behind the scenes is not always visible publicly, apart from the logos on our cars, are really the backbone of our team. The support that some partners have given us to work remotely during this pandemic has allowed us to move in the right direction and now that we are back on track, everything they provide will finally be tested at the limit in Austria next week. “
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