In the run-up to the Dutch Grand Prix, it emerged that Red Bull had submitted a request to the FIA regarding a design concept that it believes Mercedes will run.
The suspicion is believed to have revolved around Mercedes, which may be blowing supercooling air through the engine bay for extra power.
Red Bull has noticed that Mercedes has apparently been making profits out of corners in the early acceleration phase lately and is excited to see what its rival has done.
Formula 1 rules have long since changed to try to keep teams away from super cooling air in an attempt to boost engine performance.
Article 5.6.8 of the technical regulations states: “The air temperature in the engine compartment must be more than ten degrees Celsius above the ambient temperature.”
However, the measurement is taken as an average over a lap, which does not mean that it always has to be more than ten degrees above it.
The rule added, “In assessing compliance, the temperature of the air will be the lap average recorded by an FIA-approved and sealed sensor located in an FIA-approved location in the engine compartment during each lap of the Qualification training and the race.
“The first lap of the race, laps that are driven while the safety car is in use, laps with a time at least 20% longer than the fastest lap in the session, pit entry and exit laps and all laps that have obvious anomalies (such as assessed) by the Technical Delegate) is not used to assess the average temperature. “
Mercedes is aware that Red Bull is looking for answers as to what it is up to, but the team downplayed the matter and revealed everything unusual.
“I heard about it for the first time a few days ago,” said Wolff. “I wish we had a special solution, but that’s the modus operandi in Formula 1: business as usual. Inquiries are made to the FIA, questions are asked, that’s completely normal.”
Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO, Mercedes AMG
Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said it was to be expected that teams at the FIA would ask questions about what other teams are doing.
“As with all technical clarifications, it is in the nature of them that they constantly switch back and forth between all teams,” he said.
“These clarifications are usually used to determine whether something is acceptable as a solution in the eyes of the governing body, and then of course whether you are following this example.
“We had a lot of them with our car this year. It’s not just Red Bull and this topic is certainly not just Red Bull, but of course also this dialogue between the engineers in their forums, within the technical work.” Groups, it’s an ongoing process.
“I’m sure it’s not a big surprise.”
