The 3-Stop Strategy: Front Wings, Merry-Go-Rounds and a McLaren Mess-up
Welcome to the latest edition of the 3-stop strategy, a fierce weekly debate about the hottest Formula One topics of the moment. Every week 3 statements will be set and it’s up to our writers to argue for and against them, and we also want you to give tell us what you think! This week resident TGTB&TB author Craig is setting the questions, Lotus lover philracer, Mercedes maverick Glen Robertson and Red Bull expert DaveMethold will be giving us their insights into F1′s burning issues. Enjoy!
1) Christian Horner mishandled the front wing situation at Red Bull
DaveMethold: GO! What is a 12 point advantage in the Championship this season? Nothing. So why did Christian Horner feel the need to try and hinder Mark Webber’s British Grand Prix? After repeatedly dismissing accusations that Vettel is the number one driver in the team, Horner did nothing to cover himself in glory here. If there really is no favouritism within the team, then why did Horner feel the need to physically take the wing off Webber’s car and put it on Vettel’s? Webber was understandably angry with this move but this only fuelled him more and won comfortably in the end.
philracer: GO! Red Bull have been a dominant force this season and yet they have struggled to convert their dominance into overall results. Christian Horner and Adrian Newey are experienced strategists in the sport and the team has a competitive driver line-up, however their decisions during races have been disappointing. Horners overall decison during the British GP undoubtedly cost the team a 1-2 finish. The result at Silverstone adds to a catalogue of errors all year, when the squad look back at the end of the season asking why they lost the title, Horner’s decision will be the answer.
Glen: GO! While it can be argued that his actions led to Mark Webber putting in such a superb performance, the negatives far outweigh that. He has created a split right down the middle of the garage, which could lead to engineers and drivers withholding information from each other, made one of his drivers question his decision to race for the team and, worst of all, made an in-team problem a talking point for the whole world. Everyone now knows the rift going on, and many will hold no sympathy for Horner or Sebastian Vettel – irrespective of the fact he’s not at fault for it – if it all goes pear-shaped.
Head to Page 2 where the tactics of McLaren are the centre of attention…




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