Tag Archives: Red Bull

October 18, 2024 · 2:44 pm

Verstappen downplays Red Bull ride height adjuster device

Verstappen says he didn’t know about RBR’s trick device

Max Verstappen has downplayed the controversy over a ride height adjustment device on the Red Bull RB20 – and the Dutchman says that he knew nothing about it until news of an FIA clampdown emerged in the media.

Rivals were alerted to the device when Red Bull was obliged to put some technical information on an open source website that all teams have access to.

It allows adjustment of the bib under the front of the car, and the concern was that Red Bull could change the ride height under parc ferme conditions, which would be against the rules.

However the team insists that it was never used for that purpose.

“Yes, it exists, although it is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to run,” said an RBR representative.

“In the numerous correspondence we have with the FIA, this part came up and we have agreed a plan going forward.”

Verstappen insisted that the team gained no unfair advantage from it.

“It’s open source, right?,” he said. “Everyone can see it. For us, it was just an easy tool when the parts were off. It was easy to adjust, but once the whole car is built together, you can’t touch it. So for us, it doesn’t change.

“When I read [about] it, I was thinking about other teams doing it, and then I found out it was related to our team. We never even mentioned it in the briefing. So it’s just an easier tool to adjust that.”

McLaren driver Lando Norris downplayed the suggestion that a clampdown would hamper Red Bull and help McLaren.

“I mean, it’s one thing having it on your car,” he said. “It’s another thing on how much you exploit it and use it, which we have no idea on.

“If it has been helping them, if they’ve been utilising it in the way people think they have, then maybe it will shift in our direction.

“But when you talk about things like that, they’re not going to have got several pole positions or wins just because of such a device. I don’t think it really will change anything in the scheme of things.

“But when we look at maybe certain qualifyings and we look at the gap in certain races this year, when it’s been split by hundredths of a second in qualifying or even thousandths, then you might say, ‘OK, well, maybe this has helped in that direction or this direction’.

“But I think it’s good that the FIA are doing such a thing. There’s a difference between black and white stuff like this, and there’s a difference between F1 and pushing the boundaries and creating new things and innovating within the space that you’re allowed to innovate.

“And I think that’s what we as McLaren have done a very good job in. But we’re sure not to go any further than that.”

Meanwhile Oscar Piastri said: “We’re obviously pushing the boundaries of the technical regulations. Everyone is, that’s what makes F1 F1.

“But from what I’ve heard and been told something like this is not pushing the boundaries. It’s clearly breaking them. If it is something that’s being used, it’s clearly not been pushing the boundaries. It’s been out of the grey area and into the black area.”

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September 22, 2024 · 7:35 am

Perez stranded in 13th on grid amid question marks over 2025 RBR seat

Praying for a safety car on Sunday? Perez tries to cool off in Singapore…

Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Perez was left stranded in 13th place on the grid for the Singapore GP after suffering with tyres and brake issues in Q2.

Meanwhile his team mate Ma Verstappen overcame a tricky RB20 to be second fastest in all three qualifying sessions.

On the back of a good performance in Azerbaijan prior to his crash Perez was hoping for more at another street track, especially at a time when there is much speculation about driver changes within the Red Bull camp.

There are strong suggestions that his RBR seat for is not fully secure for 2025, and that thanks to performance clauses the team still has the option to replace him with Liam Lawson as part of a shake-up that could see F2 star Isack Hadjar promoted to RB, and Daniel Ricciardo left on the sidelines.

Lawson is expected to race for RB for the remainder of 2024, and that stint can perhaps be seen as an extended audition for a future seat with the senior team.

Having both Lawson and Hadjar in race seats in 2025 would ensure that Red Bull has two young stars on hand should it need to find a successor to Max Verstappen in the coming years, although Christian Horner has also made it clear to Sky F1 that the company would look outside its pool, even naming George Russell as a potential target.

Perez was a respectable fifth in Q1 despite making a mistake, but he fell away in the second session as he struggled to find tyre temperature.

“Q1 was looking really nice and smooth,” he said. “I actually had a mistake on my lap into Turn 13, where I lost around two or three tenths.

“But I just went slower in Q2. I started sliding a lot more. I couldn’t get the tyre up the temperature. It was just a very, very tricky afternoon.

“In Q2 I had issues with the brakes and with the tyres. I think the brakes were running too hot, and I was lacking a lot of bite from them, and just the tyres were absolutely nowhere in that Q2. The two laps I did I had just no grip at all, and it was super tricky.”

Perez conceded that set-up adjustments for Saturday had not worked out: “We changed quite a bit the car. I think we probably went in the wrong direction.

“It’s not so clear at the moment, but we certainly were on a nicer window yesterday, and we just lost a lot of competitiveness.”

He added: “I think he’s just the tyres have been so peaky around here, the grip, the ride, and the track changing lap by lap. It is just a very tricky place.”

Perez is relying on strategy to get him up the order in Sunday’s race.

“It’s going to be a very difficult race,” he said. “Hopefully we can do some magic with the strategy and come through. That will be the key for us.”

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September 13, 2024 · 12:34 pm

Horner: Abu Dhabi rookie sprint event “a fantastic opportunity”

Horner is fully behind the Abu Dhabi rookie sprint

Red Bull boss Christian Horner says that the planned Abu Dhabi Formula 1 rookie sprint event will be a “fantastic opportunity” for young drivers.

As previously reported the idea is to have a short qualifying session followed by a sprint race at Yas Marina on the Tuesday after the season finale.

One car from each team will take part with a rookie driver, defined as someone who hasn’t started more than two races.

The event will give already confirmed 2025 race drivers Kimi Antonelli, Jack Doohan and Oliver Bearman a chance to run some extra mileage.

Bearman will still be eligible assuming he doesn’t make a third F1 start between this weekend’s Azerbaijan GP and the end of the season.

In contrast Franco Colapinto and Liam Lawson won’t be able to take part.

Other teams can run drivers who otherwise would be unlikely to have a chance race an F1 car in the foreseeable future, with Red Bull likely to field Isack Hadjar and Ayumu Iwasa in the RBR and VCARB cars.

First discussed seriously by the F1 Commission a couple of months ago the event took a step closer to becoming a reality after a meeting of team managers in the sporting advisory commission in Geneva last week.

The gathering discussed specific rules for the event any potential anomalies that would need to be addressed.

Although as a sprint there will be no scheduled stops the idea of not having full pit crews on hand as a cost-saving exercise is unlikely to happen, in case anyone has to stop with a puncture or wing damage.

“It’s something that I tabled at the last couple of F1 Commissions,” said Horner when asked about the event by this writer.

“I think it’s great for the young drivers. And I think that the problem with some of the rookie tests is they all get used for testing, you never know are they running on 50 kilos, 70 kilos, 30 kilos of fuel? What engine mode are they going? You don’t really know.

“You don’t know how the opposition are doing. So I think this as a non-championship race for the junior drivers, I think it’s fantastic opportunity.

“It comes at the end of a busy season, but opposed to just running around burning fuel and tyres and only the teams that are running those drivers knowing whether they’re doing a good job or not, to give potentially 10 drivers or 10 rookies the opportunity of jumping in the current cars and having the equivalent of a sprint race, I think it’s fantastic, and I think it’ll be a really popular event.”

Horner said that the challenges associated with making the event happen at short notice will be overcome.

“It’s like all things in life. If you want it to happen, you make it happen,” he said. “And I think there was a clear directive to say, ‘Come on, let’s get the job done for this year.’

“And so obviously that puts pressure on the sporting working groups and the various team managers to work with the FIA to come up with a set of regulations, but I think mainly adopting sprint regs and so on, it’s eminently doable.

“Doesn’t need to be over-complicated. I think it’s just going to be a single car from each team, rather than two cars. And effectively you’re just using the mileage in a different way, as opposed to just performing during a test day.

“So I think the event will take place all in one day, so qualifying, and then the equivalent of a sprint race. So it comes at the end of a long season, but I think it’ll be a great thing. It’s a great opportunity for young drivers, and we’re fully supportive of it.”

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September 13, 2024 · 10:09 am

Hamilton: Newey decision “doesn’t change anything” on Ferrari move

Hamilton won’t get to work with Newey after all

Lewis Hamilton says that Adrian Newey’s decision to join Aston Martin “doesn’t change anything” in terms of his move to Ferrari in 2025.

Hamilton signed for the Italian team long before Newey’s departure from Red Bull became official and he became a free agent.

However his name was quickly associated with Maranello, and for a while it appeared that Fred Vasseur had convinced him to join, potentially making Hamilton’s move look perfectly timed.

However in the end Newey opted to stay in the UK and join Aston, swayed in part by the opportunity to become a shareholder.

Asked if he was disappointed by the news Hamilton insisted that he was not.

“Honestly, no,” he said. “Whilst I mentioned before that it would be an honour to work with Adrian, I’ve been privileged to work with two championship-winning teams that didn’t have Adrian, for example.

“And I think probably any team would have been happy to have had him. But at the end of the day, you have to do what was best for him.

“It doesn’t change anything for me or my goal or my focus with the next move. So I still believe 100% that there’s lots that we can do.”

Hamilton also conceded recently that his impending departure from Mercedes is starting to hit home, having noted after Monza that it was his last race working from his room in the team’s Europe-based hospitality building.

“I couldn’t have predicted the emotional rollercoasters I’ve had already this year,” he said when asked by this writer about the subject.

“It’s definitely going to be tough, very, very difficult. I think just after the race, I was sitting in my room and after the debrief, and it literally just dawned on me. I was like, oh my god, this is our last European race, and that place had been home to such a great working environment.

“It wasn’t actually that room the whole 12 years, because we had an older motorhome in the first one or two I think it was but, but still, that was my space, and to be able to have a such an enjoyable environment, to be able to work in, it’s definitely going to be really missed.

“So I was more emotional about that than I was about the weekend, or the race! I’m just trying to be really present with the team, really try to be fully engaged in conversations. And yeah, don’t want to forget it.”

Hamilton also noted that the current competitiveness of the field is positive for F1.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “This is how it should be. I think that’s ultimately probably the goal when they set the rules. But it never works out that way.

“So it’s great that we’re in that phase with McLaren have come, have had a great rise out of nowhere, you see the Ferrari win in the last race, and us before that.

“So hopefully, these next eight races, or whatever is left, that hopefully you’ll see something more like that, and it stays consistent, I hope.”

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September 10, 2024 · 12:22 pm

Stroll: Newey “has the passion and desire to win”

Lawrence Stroll has total faith in Newey

Aston Martin Formula 1 owner says that Adrian Newey is “a winner” and is the key piece of the puzzle in improving the team’s fortunes.

Stroll said he first approached Newey two years ago, and his interest ramped up as soon as it became public that he was on the market.

Newey will start work at the team on March 1 after completing his Red Bull gardening leave.

“Adrian arguably is the greatest in the world at what he does,” said Stroll. “There’s nobody who’s come close to winning as many World Championships.

“He’s a gentleman, he’s a winner, he’s a competitor, and he has the passion and desire to win, as do I, and most of the people in this building.

“We started on a journey six years ago with this team, on similar ground, much smaller premises, a much smaller building, and that’s really when the journey had started.

“We’ve put together a fantastic management team. And building this premises was really showing our real intent. First was hiring the people, but to make this level of investment, to build a premises like this, that was non-existent before, in F1, the first of its sort. It’s so grand, but it’s so special, we can build 100% of the car here.

“We’re going to have the first, greatest, newest wind tunnel built in over 20 years. That’s a huge tool to make the car go faster, ultimately. So putting all that in place, the people, the premises, and then really looking for our technical leader.

“And I had been trying to speak to Adrian for a couple of years. And I believe when things are meant to be, they happen.

“I believe he shared my passion, intent and vision. And there really is no other F1 team that is poised for the future as we are. So I can’t be more excited to have Adrian on board.”

Expanding on Newey’s role he said: “As I mentioned, we have a strong team, some of which Adrian has already worked with.

“Adrian is going to be the managing technical partner of that team, so on a day-to-day basis, he’ll be here, full commitment, full time committed to F1, giving leadership and direction to his team.”

He added: “Adrian is key, key, key, and the biggest part of the puzzle, certainly from a technical point of view, from a technical leadership point of view. He will be leading the team, and I think that will have a trickle-down effect throughout the whole organisation.”

Stroll made it clear that the focus will be in 2026, with Newey joining in time to make a difference heading into the new rules set.

“We had a slight distraction moving into this building,” he said. “We had a very strong start to 2023 as you know, the first nine races were great. These ground effect cars are rather complex, and obviously we went in the different or clearly appears now a wrong direction. We’re trying to find our way back.

“We’re currently fifth in the championship, in all honesty, for a team like us, with just moving into this building, with not having all our tools in place, without having a true, big technical leader as Adrian – I would like to be in a better space, don’t get me wrong, but our focus really lies on doing a better car for ’25 but really, most importantly, we’ll be focusing most of our energy next year on ’26.

“Re-set, new rules, new power. unit building is up and running, wind tunnel is running. So that’s really going to be our focus.”

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May 3, 2024 · 9:04 pm

Vowles makes public pitch to lure Newey back to Williams F1 team

James Vowles has made a public pitch to Adrian Newey in an effort to attract him back to the Williams Formula 1 team.

Newey worked at Williams from 1990 to the end of 1996 before moving to McLaren, winning titles with Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost and Damon Hill.

While rival team bosses are being coy about any potential interest they might have in hiring him after he leaves Red Bull Vowles made it clear in an FIA press conference that he sees Williams as a realistic potential home.

Vowles downplayed a chat he has already had with Newey, but suggested that a smaller team without manufacturer support might have its appeal.

“I mean, it was a light conversation more than anything else, saying it can’t have been an easy decision, and fundamentally wanting just to have an additional chat about things,” he said.

“But from a Williams perspective, obviously, that’s where Adrian really cut his teeth for the first time. And I think we’re a team without politics. It’s a small team that’s trying to make our way back to the front.

“And I think it could fit very perfectly for someone that wants to potentially dig into a challenge like that. More than that, I mean, what is great about Williams is that it has retained the family feel to it. We’re not driven by an OEM. We’re driven by just a group of individuals that want to be there. And it’s all about racing.

“And hopefully some of that plays to his strengths. And then finally with Adrian, you have someone with his accolades, with his touch.

“There’s not a team he hasn’t been to – and that includes McLaren, ourselves, Red Bull – where he hasn’t made a significant difference. And I think anyone here would be foolish not to at least open some conversation with him at that stage.”

Expanding on what makes Newey so special he said: “He’s an incredible character that has huge accolades behind him in the sport, well known for being the best designer really in his field. And that will have an impact, there’s no doubt about it.

“How much he was involved in Red Bull or not, I couldn’t say. We’re not buried within there. But what I can say is it [his departure] will have an impact. Of course it will, someone of his character and his strength.”

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May 3, 2024 · 7:23 pm

Zak Brown: Newey “not the last” domino to fall at Red Bull F1 team

McLaren Formula 1 CEO Zak Brown says that Adrian Newey is just the first domino to fall at Red Bull Racing, and won’t be the last.

Brown suggested that Newey’s departure will trigger an exodus of talent from the Milton Keynes organisation, while indicating that McLaren has already received interest from its current employees.

He also made it clear that the Christian Horner controversy triggered Newey’s decision to leave the team.

“Am I surprised?,” said Brown when asked about Newey’s departure. “Six months ago, I would have been surprised. I think given everything that’s gone on since the start of the year and knowing Adrian pretty well, and he’s very high integrity individual. I’m not surprised.

“He’s moving on. I think the stuff that’s going on there is a bit destabilising. It’s probably the first domino to fall. I guess it’s not the last, based on the resumes that are flying around.”

Asked to elaborate on that claim he said: “Yeah, we’ve seen an increase in CVs coming our way from the team.

“I think Adrian is the most successful designer of all time. So in addition to the technical that he brings to the racing team, people want to work for people like Adrian Newey and work alongside him. So I think they’ll be missing what he brings to the team from a pure technical point of view.

“And then I think the leadership and the excitement people get from working with him will be missed.”

Brown insisted that McLaren is not in the race to sign up Newey.

“And as far as McLaren is concerned, I’m very happy with all the work the men and women at McLaren are doing,” he said. “I think we’ve started to show since last year, the second half of last year, that they know how to put performance on the car.

“So I’ve got all the faith in the world with the team that we have. We’re on a quest to get back to the front. And I think we have the people, the talent, the equipment, the drivers to get there. So we’re going to just stay the course.”

However Brown conceded that Newey would be a valuable catch: “With a resume and a track record like Adrian Newey, Adrian is going to add value to any racing team. But we’re very happy with the trajectory that we’re on.

“Never say never. But I’m very happy with the team, the technical leadership, the way Andrea [Stella] is running the racing team. And we’ve got a plan and we’re going to keep our head down.

“And of course, we always look for opportunities to make additive additions to the racing team.”

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May 2, 2024 · 8:25 pm

Leclerc: Newey at Ferrari would be “amazing”

Charles Leclerc says that it would be “amazing” if Adrian Newey joins the Ferrari Formula 1 team after leaving Red Bull.

The Maranello outfit looks to be the most likely destination for Newey, with some Italian media reports suggesting that the deal is already done.

If it is eventually confirmed it would put Newey at Ferrari just as Lewis Hamilton joins as Leclerc’s team mate.

“I will obviously be very happy,” said Leclerc when asked about the possibility. “I think Adrian is one of those guys in the paddock that you hope to be working with one day in your career.

“We have an incredible team in Ferrari at the moment. And in the last seven to eight months, we are the team that have progressed the most. However, adding Adrian to a team like this will be amazing.”

Asked if Newey’s departure would weaken Red Bull Leclerc said: “I was surprised, I did not expect it. So it was an interesting news, and one of those news that makes a lot of noise once it’s out, as I had it everywhere on my social media.

“But yeah, will it weaken Red Bull? I mean, obviously every team’s there are lots of people involved, but some figures of a team make more difference than others. And I think Adrian is definitely one of them, as he has shown it with his path, that’s every time he’s been in a team, they’ve been very, very successful.

“It’s difficult for me to comment, because I don’t know how exactly it works within the team. But obviously Adrian being on the market of the engineers is definitely someone to watch, and someone that everybody in the paddock will want in their team.”

Leclerc is adamant that even without Newey Ferrari has made good progress under team principal Fred Vasseur.

“I think I’ve said it, in the last eight to nine months already, I think we’re in a very good moment for the team. And we are in a good spiral. Fred has always shared with me what was his medium to long term vision of the team, I have shared with him what I thought also was the right thing, and it’s going really, really well.

“I’m really happy with how it goes. And I think we are in a good place to attract the best people in the world. However, I have said it already, but we are really, really good team already.

“And in the last seven to eight months, we’ve done incredible progress. But whatever and whoever can come to make it even stronger, is super important. And Adrian is one of those guys that can make a difference.”

Leclerc stressed that getting the right people on board is one of Vasseur strengths.

“I think Fred’s vision and his ability to put the people in the right environments in order to extract the best out of everyone is something really, really amazing,” he said. “And that has made the difference, together with a very clear vision on which are the main points on which we need to focus.

“Again, it’s very, very clear, which are the points that needs to be improved, and tackled in the next few months.

“And that helps the team to have a clearer vision, and to really put all the energy on one or two things only. But then you really see the gains straight away, which is a good thing. So clarity, and putting the people in the best environment possible to extract the best out of them.”

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February 2, 2015 · 11:31 am

Fans won’t be disappointed by Red Bull’s race livery, says Horner

Christian Horner has hinted that Red Bull could have another unusual livery planned for the start of the racing season.

The team is running in camouflage livery in Jerez, in part because it genuinely serves to make it harder for rivals to analyse the car.

“The camouflage livery actually came out of a helmet that Sebastian ran last year.” said Horner. “It was quite fun. We thought it would be interesting to extend that concept to the entire car, and Dietrich [Mateschitz] liked it when he saw it. I think it epitomises Red Bull, really.

“We’re not afraid to do things a bit differently, and so to run in a different livery and see a Red Bull in a different livery is quite striking, and it makes it difficult to get detailed photographs of the car at a time of year when we’re all trying to be as secretive as we possibly can.”

Asked if fans will be disappointed when the camouflage livery is dropped he said: “They won’t be disappointed because the livery will be even stronger. It’s great to so something different, it’s been extremely well received. It’s difficult to get detailed shots because obviously it confuses your eye-line. It certainly seems to have had a great reaction.

Regarding what will be on the car in Australia, he said: “Wait and see.”

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February 2, 2015 · 11:16 am

Kvyat shunt forces Red Bull to test with no front wing

Dany Kvyat has been lapping Jerez with no front wing on the RB11 after he damaged the only example of it in contact with the barrier this morning.

New parts are on their way but the team opted to continue to run a few laps for ongoing systems checks and so on.

“Dany had a very slight off on an install lap this morning, on cold track,” said Christian Horner. “He was just changing something on the steering wheel between Turns Two and Three very lightly touched the tyre wall with the front wing. That’s damaged the front wing.

“It’s the only front wing assembly that we have in Jerez at the moment, which is relatively usual for when you’re not abundant with spare parts. That’s why we’re running without the main plane at the moment. Obviously more components coming down later this afternoon and this evening and during the next few days.

He added: “What I should really be telling you is that we have so much front downforce we don’t need the front wing, and we’re just trying to balance the car.”

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