Red Bull HELP F1 rivals with bizarre Bahrain Grand Prix move

Photo: © IMAGO

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Red Bull appear to HELP F1 rivals with bizarre Bahrain move

The world champions leant a helping hand

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 1 March 2024 22:57

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Red Bull's world-champion engineers appeared to help a rival during qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix in an unusual move.

Alpine were called over to the weighbridge during the session for a random inspection of their new car for 2024 in the first qualifying session of the season.

While the weighing took place, with Esteban Ocon in the car, Red Bull's engineers appeared to cool the car down, using fans that are seen being used to cool down both Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen's car in the Red Bull garage.

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While this sportsmanlike behaviour is good to see, it does represent a fairly unusual move for the engineers to be in the right place at the right time to lend Alpine a hand.

Alpine struggled during qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix

Max Verstappen claimed pole in the first qualifying of the year in Bahrain

Alpine miserably slow in Bahrain

It may well be that the world champions felt a little sorry for the Enstone-based team, whose cars looked to be the slowest of all teams in Bahrain, qualifying 19th and 20th for Saturday's race.

Alpine driver Ocon had already confessed that the 2024 car looked 'slow' before it was even unveiled, and similar brutal statements have followed, suggesting the team were not in a good place after pre-season testing.

Meanwhile, Red Bull banished any practice fears they may have had to claim pole position, with Verstappen over two tenths faster than his nearest challenger in Charles Leclerc.

El Alpine de Ocon tuvo algún problema al pasar por la báscula y los mecánicos de Red Bull le apoyaron ventilando sus frenos. pic.twitter.com/RaAX9fcdWU
— ?【 Alerta F1 】? (@AlertaF1) March 1, 2024