Red Bull calls for more rigorous front wing tests

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner considers it sporty, although the FIA’s final technical instruction would have cost his racing team a lot of money: “Mercedes pushed the thing with the back wings. It’s part of the game in Formula 1. We voted for it last year that motors can only be used with one power mode. ” But he also says: “Mercedes cares more about the affairs of other teams than anyone else on the field.”

Technical director Adrian Newey estimates that the rigid rear wing regulations will cost Red Bull half a million dollars. “This is not a simple matter.” This is because, in the opinion of the competition, Red Bull uses a simple trick to make its wings elastic.

Opponents want to see, based on video recordings, that the rear wing end plates tilt inward from 250 km / h and thus pull the main wing downward. The secret of controlled bending clearly lies in the structure of the carbon structures of the respective parts. Red Bull has always been a leading and cross-border commuter.

Red Bull goes to great lengths when it comes to rules

“Aerodynamic structures can bend at high speeds. This is somewhat common. However, it can also be built in these parts. Red Bull has always pushed its limits. They punished them for this in 2014 in Abu Dhabi. I went.” What is Mercedes says. At the time, both Red Bull drivers had to exit the pit lane because the front wing flap was bent backwards through a “soft connection”.

Sports director Helmut Marco defends against the allegation that at some point this season, Bruce Maker’s cars were being driven illegally: “In motorsport, it’s about pushing the rules to the limit. We are going to Engineers pay. Stress test limits for wing sets. We passed all tests. So our car was also legal. If the tests are tight right now, we will react. “

However, the conversion takes time. Because this is not a common mechanism that you can only expand. You do not change carbon structures overnight. It takes time and costs money. The additional cost of half a million dollars in the normal season for Red Bull would be a handle in the postal pocket. But since the budget was set, every expenditure has suffered twice. “It’s an extra penalty,” Horner admits.

Front wing modification is even more expensive

The English therefore grouped the subject of the front wing: “There are pictures of the Imola in which the Mercedes’ front wing bends higher than our rear wing. This will only be appropriate if the FIA ​​applies the same standard to the front wing. Wings.” McLaren team boss Andreas Seidel would welcome it: “We are clean. Every string of tests brings us closer to the top teams.”

Red Bull is confident that the association will also tighten thumb punches on teams on the front end of the car. And what does it cost to build a new front wing? “More than half a million. At least by our standards,” Horner revealed. So it will be in the race for the largest possible loss on the opponent.

Andreas Seidel says complaints are being made at a higher level: “Due to the canceled races, the cost cap has risen again. Top teams again have more breathing space.” In fact, it is now $ 149.8 million. For cancellations in Canada and Turkey, for races 22 and 23, each had an additional $ 1.2 million.