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Max Verstappen’s lead in the World Championship is shrinking – which is why Red Bull is now abandoning a planned special paint job. © Sergei Grits/AP/dpa
Red Bull has been in a slump in the Formula 1 title race for weeks. Before the Grand Prix in Singapore, Max Verstappen’s team has taken an unusual measure.
Singapore – Out of concern for Max Verstappen’s chances of winning the World Championship, the Red Bull team will not be using the special paint scheme designed as part of a fan campaign for the next two Formula 1 races. The paint required for this would add “unexpected and excessive weight” to the cars of Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Pérez, the racing team told the participants in the campaign. As this would have a negative impact on performance, the team has decided with a heavy heart not to use the paint scheme as planned in Singapore and Austin.
At the beginning of August, Red Bull offered five different designs for the cars and let fans vote on them. Each of the designs was reminiscent of previous paint schemes from the 20-year history of the world champion racing team, it was said.
During the test phase, however, the team discovered that the action could have a negative impact on the performance of the RB20. “Our priority is to make this car as competitive as possible for the rest of the season,” said Red Bull, explaining the decision not to use the special paint. At the Grand Prix in Silverstone in July, Red Bull drove with a special design.
