Red Bull sees this weekend’s Canadian grand prix as a chance to set its almost perfect record straight. Of the 20 circuits on the 2012 calendar, the energy drink owned team has won at all of them with the exception of newcomer Austin — and Montreal.
Sebastian Vettel came close a year ago, succumbing to Jenson Button’s challenge only on the very last lap.
“I led every lap until part of the last one,” the reigning world champion ruefully recalled.
Team boss Christian Horner told La Presse newspaper: “We love coming to Montreal. The city comes alive. It’s always a great atmosphere. Even if the circuit is not the most exciting of the season, it has always produced exciting racing. This is one of the only races that Red Bull has never won, even though we came very close last year.”
The 2011 loss was even sourer for Red Bull given the marathon day at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, due to an excruciatingly long red flag delay and torrential rain.
“It would be wonderful to come back and rectify the situation,” Horner smiled.
Indeed, a win on Sunday would also mark a definite comeback for the reigning world champions, whose recent victory in Monaco meant Red Bull is the only constructor to have won more a single grand prix so far in 2012.
“In Montreal, power is crucial,” said Horner. “It’s the complete opposite of Monaco. Who knows if we’ll be competitive, but we’ll be in attack mode. We are still young,” said 38-year-old Briton Horner, referring to the Milton Keynes based team.
“This is our eighth car for our eighth season in formula one and we’re still hungry. There is a great desire to do more. Our people enjoyed winning but we want more. Motivation at Red Bull has never been higher.”
The team comes to Montreal having had the floor of its RB8 declared illegal by the FIA, following complaints to the governing body reportedly lodged by direct rivals Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes.
“It doesn’t get easier,” Horner admitted. “Everything we do is scrutinised much more than if we were in the middle of the pack.”
Source:GMM
