'Mercedes was slower in Abu Dhabi due to new cooling system for 2021'

On the Abu Dhabi circuit, where Mercedes is historically omnipotent, Max Verstappen surprisingly took victory. According to the Italian Motorsport.com, this was due to a new cooling system that Mercedes used during the race weekend.

With the championship for constructors and drivers already in their pockets, there was little left to play for in Abu Dhabi for Mercedes. Yet Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas will never give up just like that. Surprisingly, Max Verstappen was only too fast for the two of them on Saturday and Sunday and managed to seize the victory in a dominant way. This is a great boost for Red Bull Racing, which will have renewed confidence for 2021.

But according to the Italian Motorsport.com, Red Bull shouldn't put too much value on victory. Editor Franco Nugnes claims that Mercedes installed a new cooling system before the race weekend, in preparation for the Young Drivers Test at the end of the Grand Prix. No new parts may be installed for the test before 2021, so Mercedes has already put the parts into the cars prematurely.

Victory Verstappen no surprise

According to Nugnes, it is therefore not so surprising that Hamilton and Bottas were unable to pursue Verstappen. "Mercedes has come up with a compromise as a solution, so that they can then test for a long time on the only permitted development day," writes the editor. Whether Red Bull Racing can actually compete with Mercedes in 2021, we will find out at the Australian Grand Prix.