A controversy that shakes the paddock
Until the Chinese GP, the fifth round of the 2024 championship, the Red Bull still showed a fair margin over the competition with the only exception being the Australian GP where Max Verstappen probably would have had to settle for a podium finish (the Dutchman had to raise the white flag almost immediately due to a rear brake problem). In the last four races – in Miami, Imola, Monaco and Canada – also as a result of the updates brought to the track by the rival teams, the RB20’s advantage has shrunk to the point that we are anxiously awaiting the weekend in Barcelona to understand if it actually the performance coupling by Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes has effectively been achieved.
In recent weeks, Red Bull has noticed that the front wings of Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes are excessively flexible. “The FIA is going in blind“ Christian Horner’s thesis and the Milton Keynes team said they were ready “to adapt” For replicate the behavior of the opponents’ wingersa subject – that of flexible wings – on which Red Bull has always been a master (just remember the controversy over the crackdown on rear wings after a few races in 2021).
In Canada FIA members visited the Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes pits and the images immortalized the Federation delegates intent on checking the solidity of various components of the front wings. The deformation and flexibility of the front aerodynamic appendages not only allow for less aerodynamic resistance to progress, but also influence the flow in the bottom of the car to obtain a slight understeer in fast corners.
