“At that time, when Mercedes was negotiating with George, Max could probably have been the alternative,” said Steiner.
Steiner stated that waiting for the upcoming regulatory cycle left the driver with limited immediate flexibility.
“I think Max was not sure what would happen in the future,” said Steiner. “Then it slipped away.
The chance was there then and there. He was convinced to stay where he sat and waited for the new regulations.
Now it seems too late. Not a little bit too late, but just too late.”
He emphasized that the underlying performance of the Red Bull car remains competitive when the wing functions properly.
“He stays,” said Steiner. “That is my opinion.
He stays.”
Steiner noted that the team members understand the driver's emotional outbursts during high-pressure race weekends.
“What he must do, is try to motivate his people so that they give him the car he needs,” said Steiner.
“The car hadn't been bad if it hadn't gone wrong with the rear wing. Performance-wise it was good.
He wanted a new engine, but the car seemed on its way to a podium.”
The engineering analysis by technical expert Gary Anderson in The Race indicated that the fundamental issue stems from the transient aerodynamic window rather than the mechanical flip-over concept itself.
“At Red Bull everyone knows Max,” said Steiner. “They know he has those outbursts and then comes back wanting to win races.
He has won a lot for them. The people close to him know why he is like that.
He is disappointed because he isn't winning.”
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Ferrari and Red Bull remain the only teams to field the rotating design since its Miami introduction, while McLaren has delayed its scheduled on-track debut until the Belgian Grand Prix.
