Newey observes: 'That's where the Ferrari has the best handling'

The sprint race in Imola marked revenge for Red Bull Racing, but the team will need to carry that line forward into Sunday's race. Adrian Newey explains why things seem to be going so much easier for the Austrian racing team in Imola than two weeks ago in Melbourne.

The Red Bull Racing and Ferrari cars are very much matched, but the difference is in the details. The F1-75 is faster in the corners, while the RB18 gains time on the straights. This is also the conclusion of top designer Newey according to Auto, Motor und Sport.

Newey on difference from Melbourne

"The Ferrari has the best handling in the slow corners, both with the engine and the car," concluded Red Bull Racing's technical director. However, this proved not enough for Charles Leclerc to take the victory in the sprint race.

Max Verstappen 's victory draws a big contrast with the Australian Grand Prix, in which the Dutchman crashed out with technical problems after a difficult weekend. According to Newey, the defeat in Melbourne was a warning to the engineers, but the weekend did not provide any direct lessons for Imola. "It's not comparable. It was a different car, a different track and different conditions," he notes.

One area where Red Bull can improve, according to Newey, is in finding the perfect balance of the car. With that, the team seems to have no problem at all in Imola.