Red Bull is leading the championship. A car of F1the RB20, which currently remains the point of reference in the highest category of motorsport. The Austrian team is in command in both world championship rankings. The top pilot, Max Verstappenstill has a long contract with the team Milton Keynes and he seems to have every intention of respecting it. There is no shortage of positive notes. We can add that after nine rounds of the world championship no major updates have arrived; yet, as mentioned, even if with some difficulty, the aero-mechanical work conceived by Newey keep winning. The brilliant British engineer actually said goodbye to the merry band some time ago.
A very painful farewell which, however, does not change the plans of the reigning world champion team. On the contrary, the objective always remains the same: to win as many trophies as possible by carrying the project forward. The enormous fuss raised over the “employee Christian Horner, shows a great ability to perform every weekend. There remain prominent figures such as Pierre Waché. The Frenchman has prolonged the bond with the Red Bull through a very onerous contract. A bond that locks him into the team, offering the role of new technical manager, number one on the project 2026.
A challenge for the technician Auchel, challenging ones, because Newey’s baton is hot and the weight to be carried “on one’s shoulders” will weigh heavily. Nonetheless, you will be able to count on the contribution of other brilliant minds. We are referring to the former Ferrari driver Enrico Balbo (Head of Aerodynamics), Craig Skinner (Chief Designer) e Well Waterhouse (Head of Performance). A true concentration of technical knowledge that will be very useful to the cause. Working group that includes among its ranks as well Phil Monaghanexperienced chief engineer and very close friend of Newey which in the same way as Waché has extended its collaboration with the Austrian team.
F1, Red Bull suffers suspension problems
Red Bull he no longer has a single-seater F1 dominant. The glories of 2023 They’ve been over for a while. Although they remain the favorites towards the title, the RB20 shows some defects of which Newey he’s not proud at all. He himself revealed this in unsuspecting times, claiming that ironing out a certain deficiency will not be at all simple and, in all likelihood, until next year it will only be possible to patch up this imperfection. The reference is clear and concerns the suspension inability of the car to manage certain competitive scenarios. Let’s delve into the details to better understand what it is. The gap of the team reigning world champion has slimmed down a lot, an aspect that has highlighted some of the cars’ limitations.
Weaknesses hidden until now and compensated by other technical factors. Let’s start with the facts. Verstappen he never complains at random. Listen to it on the radio during free practice, in the adjustment phase setupgives us the opportunity to confirm the headaches of RB20. We are talking about riding on curbs which bores the Dutchman quite a bit, as the talent of Hasselt cannot fully exploit them. An aspect that does not allow the single-seater to cut corners as best as possible, losing performance. He cannot do this as the car breaks down and loses grip on the asphalt. This dynamic does not appear during simulator studies driver-in-the-loop. The proof is Grand Award Of Montecarlowhere the virtual suggested a deceptive setup.
In Red Bull no one talks about it openly. The only Verstappen expresses this problem on several occasions, although no comments emerge in official interviews. The reason is clear: they themselves do not understand the nature of the headache. The team has changed the previous suspension scheme compared to last season, unlike the “B” team, the VCARBwhich instead continues to adopt the solution of RB19. Pull rod which works wonderfully and no problems are encountered. Precisely for this reason, logically, the problem could have its roots in the changes made during the winter. In F1 the test they are a rare commodity. This is why every single session is made the most of.
In the recent Canadian world championship event Red Bull carried out an examination on the front suspension. Track tests relating to rigidity, necessary to find the way forward to remedy this limiting aspect. All this keeping in mind the close aero-mechanical correlation that exists F1 plays a fundamental role. A suspension kinematic mechanism must be able to stabilize the aerodynamic platform of the car. A certain rigidity is required to absorb load transfers which automatically keep tire operating temperatures stable. There RB20 It’s lacking precisely in this fundamental aspect: bump absorption.
F1, Red Bull will correct the front suspension
The causes of the problems can essentially be summarized in two themes: tuning of the single-seater or the sprung masses of the car. In the first case we find a gap relating to the understanding of the setting to be used for the damper (shock absorbers). Elements of the suspensive scheme responsible for absorbing energy and subsequently “returning” it through specific methods. When a car of F1 faces a bumpin case Red Bull we are referring to the curbs, the suspension compresses and “copies” the variations of the reference plane (asphalt). This work must be effective and very rapid, considering that the travel times on this bump are in the order of fractions of a second.
The other issue concerns the weight of the aforementioned suspension masses such as the tie rod, the steering arm, the wishbone and in general the group rotates. Components that must be quite light, as excessive weight negatively affects the handling of the single-seater and reduces the tire’s ability to follow the roughness of the asphalt, limiting the contact of the rubber with the reference plane. “Losing weight” these elements will undoubtedly be fundamental, e.g Red Bull will try to achieve this in the coming months. In the meantime, let’s go back to the tests carried out at Montreal in the last one weekend on the North American circuit.
Observing the image, we notice the sensor system used to measure the movement of the suspension rod during the stress phases, useful for calculating the response times of the front end of the Red Bull. We are talking about a component that activates the internal elements via i rockers. The dampers have remained unchanged compared to last season. For this reason, the technicians responsible for vehicle dynamics have restricted the examination to the two-dimensional movement of this component. Basically the RB20 It features very rigid kinematics that favor the development of downforce. Within the current regulatory body it is complicated to produce a surface capable of working best at different heights from the ground.
For this reason, when the floor moves while the vehicle is moving, it is easy to lose load stability. Stiffening the aerodynamic platform limits excursions, keeps the load more stable, but also limits the suspension capacity to absorb the roughness of the asphalt. This explains why a Monk there Red Bull suffered a lot, city route littered with all kinds of bump. While in Canada there RB20 it limited this type of problem and only suffered to a limited extent from the very high curbs of the last one chicane. While waiting to resolve this distinctive feature of the car, the Spain. Circuit where the award-winning team will be able to access greater performance, considering the lesser importance of the curbs.
