Robin Frijns believes Red Bull Racing’s speed problems started after the championship-winning team made changes to the car’s design, following strong advice from the FIA.
The former Formula 1 driver does not specify exactly what he is talking about, but earlier versions about the functioning of the brakes of the RB20 car have appeared in the press. And although the team denies everything, changes to the technical regulations that the FIA implemented at the end of July based on the results of an anonymous vote by championship teams speak in favor of this version.
We are referring to paragraph 11.2.1, which now reads: “Any system or mechanism that can systematically or deliberately create asymmetric braking torques on a particular axle is prohibited.” Presumably it was the rejection of such a system that led to the RB20’s balance problems, as Max Verstappen has repeatedly stated.
Red Bull Racing’s speed loss problems began before the formal ban, as the FIA initially invited the championship-winning team to voluntarily revise the design of its rear brakes.
In a recent column for the Dutch magazine Formule 1, Robin Friijns writes: “What is wrong with Red Bull? Why did they suddenly lose speed? I heard from Spanish journalists that the FIA found something special in the Red Bull car and ordered the team to redo it. This caused them to lose speed.
I wouldn’t be surprised if such assumptions are true, since teams in Formula 1 are constantly looking at each other. Each team is trying to find something in the “grey” area of the regulations. That’s what makes our sport so interesting in my opinion.
That McLaren is already superior to Red Bull is partly because Red Bull has taken a step back. If you lose three tenths and your opponent gains two tenths, that results in a speed difference of half a second. Red Bull must have had to change something very big that they found in the grey area.
However, this does not detract from the impressive progress that McLaren has made. Last year they were way behind in testing, but now their car drives like it is on rails. I think we should not underestimate the influence of leader Andrea Stella.
We see that McLaren is making progress, but that is not the only case. The team has two young drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and they have a similar driving style. This also helps in the development of the machine.
McLaren will do everything they can to compete for the title. If it really comes to a serious confrontation, Max will be under more pressure than Lando.
In Hungary Red Bull made mistakes, which Max obviously didn’t like, and he had to take risks. A few more races like this, where Lando will win again, and the situation in the championship will change quickly. McLaren has nothing to lose, while Red Bull has everything to lose.”
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
