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This Is Why Red Bull Had To Retire From the 2022 Bahrain GP

Red Bull was battling for the victory at the season opener in Bahrain, but they both had to retire with just a handful of laps to go. After analyzing the RB18 back at the factory, they came up with a definitive conclusion.
Red Bull Bahrain Retirement 7 photos
Photo: Formula 1
Max Verstappen fighting with Charles Leclerc in Bahrain, 2022Max Verstappen fighting with Charles Leclerc in Bahrain, 2022Max Verstappen fighting with Charles Leclerc in Bahrain, 2022Max Verstappen fighting with Charles Leclerc in Bahrain, 2022Max Verstappen fighting with Charles Leclerc in Bahrain, 2022Red Bull Bahrain Retirement
The Milton Keynes-based team looked very strong throughout the whole race, with defending World Champion Max Verstappen challenging race leader Charles Leclerc for the victory. At the same time, his teammate, Sergio Perez was in P4, trying to snatch the last podium place from Carlos Sainz.

However, after some crazy overtakes between Max and Charles and a Safety Car, Verstappen was forced to pull up in the Red Bull pits and retire. If you think that is harsh, two laps later, Sergio spun in Turn 1 after suffering the same faith as his teammate. Red Bull suspected that the problem was related to the fuel pumps, but they had to analyze the car in order to come up with a definitive conclusion.

Just before the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the Austrian team confirmed that the issue was caused by a vacuum being created in its fuel system, meaning the fuel was not getting through to the engine.

"Both cars suffered from a lack of fuel pressure last weekend. The correct amount of fuel was in both cars, but a vacuum prevented the pumps from drawing fuel and delivering it to the engine," declared a spokesman from the Austrian team. "We've taken the necessary steps to correct this issue and we expect no problems this weekend."

Still, that wasn't the only problem that Verstappen had. With a tweaked track rod, the steering got quite heavy so the Dutch driver couldn't attack LeLlerc in the race's final stages.

After leaving Bahrain with zero points and a big disappointment, Red Bull will be on full attack mode at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia.
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About the author: Silvian Irimia
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Silvian may be the youngest member of our team, being born in the 2000s, but you won't find someone more passionate than him when it comes to motorsport. An automotive engineer by trade, Silvian considers the Ferrari F50 his favorite car, with the original Lamborghini Countach a close second.
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