Verstappen acknowledges the recent exposure of Red Bull’s RB19 floor following Sergio Perez’s accident in Monaco is “not ideal,” but he downplays the risk of rival teams replicating it.
The 2023 edition of the Monaco race became even more memorable when Sergio Perez’s Red Bull Racing RB19 suffered a crash that revealed the top-secret underside floor of the car.
The incident
During the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix, Sergio Perez’s RB19 lost control and collided with the barriers at the iconic Monte Carlo street circuit.
After Perez’s incident, the underside of the RB19 was visible as it was lifted off the track by a crane. This allowed other teams to analyze the floor through photos, prompting Mercedes’ technical director, James Allison, to mention their interest in studying it.
The exposed top-secret floor revealed intricate airflow channels, vortex generators, and other intricate features. These components are designed to maximize downforce, enhance stability, and improve overall performance and are certainly a big factor in the dominance currently seen in F1 by Red Bull.
The team remained tight-lipped about the exact details of the design and its compliance with regulations. Red Bull Racing assured the public and the FIA that they would cooperate fully with any inquiries to address any concerns and ensure compliance with the sport’s regulations.
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Verstappen reacts
While Verstappen admits the situation is less than ideal after his team mate’s big error which caused rivals to analyse the secret Red Bull floor, he believes it would be challenging for other teams to create their own version due to differences in development philosophies.
“They [Red Bull’s rivals] are working on it anyway, but of course, it’s not ideal,” Verstappen stated to the media.
“Even if they were to completely copy it, it wouldn’t align with the philosophy of their own car. So we would have to make adjustments to many other aspects as well.”
“We can’t simply put someone else’s sidepods on our car either. It wouldn’t work properly, so in the end, I don’t think it will make much of a difference.”
“Currently, this is our floor, but we’ll also introduce a new floor in a few races. It won’t have a significant impact.”
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