As Formula One rolled into Hungary, the paddock was awash with talk of cheating. Red Bull started the year as they finished 2023 and it looked by the end of their 1-2 at the Chinese Grand Prix as though this would be another season of domination from the World Champions.

Yet the RB20 car proved fatally flawed for the streets of Monaco and there was no podium for the team again in Austria, although for different reasons. Whispers abound in Budapest that behind the scenes the FIA intervened some weeks ago over suspect components on the Red Bull car. Since then its performance has dropped off, is the explanation offered.

The same could be said of Ferrari who since their Barcelona upgrade have looked a different outfit. Outscored by Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull over the last six races, Ferrari hopes a revision to its floor this weekend will solve the problems the drivers have been facing since Monaco.

 

 

McLaren development ‘too good to be true?’

Now it appears that the FIA believe other terms may be deploying ‘illegal’ components in the form of ‘flexi-wings’. McLaren’s Miami upgrades have proved spectacular with the MCL38 now widely accepted as the fastest car on the grid.

Mercedes appear to have finally got on top of their troublesome W15 car winning back to back races for the first time since the fateful season of 2021.

Ferrari are fighting back with a modified floor for Hungary and Red Bull Racing have brought the biggest round of upgrades of their entire season to date. Certain reports claim these were ideas suggested some time ago by Adrian Newey, but were sidelined following his departure from the team.

While FIA officials have performed the specified stress test on the top teams front wings, they are not satisfied the technical process used for testing for movement is doing the job it intended. So come the Belgian Grand Prix next weekend, F1’s governing body will use cameras and fixed points marked on the wings to see if any of the teams have a greater deflection than is allowed in the regulations.

Red Bull politics affects imminent driver decision

 

 

 

New FIA mid-season rule changes

The front running teams have all passed the ‘static tests’ which rely on weights being attached to the bodywork to see if it flexes too much. However, the along with others will be subject to the analysis by camera coming up at there weekend in Spa Francorchamps.

Martin Brundle in fact believes the FIA are targeting the top four teams who are all believed to be benefitting from flexible front wings in different ways. Speaking to Sky Sports F1 he pondered after practice on Friday what a mid-season regulation change from the FIA would deliver.

“The FIA are starting to look at the front wings,” he said. “That could somewhat scramble the pack if they’re told to stop their front wings being so flexy. But we’ll see.”

The competitive juices are flowing particularly between Red Bull and McLaren at present and Zak Brown and Christian Horner have been conducting an open war of words over the past weeks.

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Brown v Horner spat continues

Brown has criticised Horner for a range of things including the ‘lack of transparency’ over the details of the investigation into alleged “inappropriate behaviour” by the Red Bull boss. Christian was cleared of all wrong doing.

The McLaren CEO then called out Horner for “a lack of respect” following a coming together between Lando Norris and ax Verstappen on lap 64 in the Austrian Grand Prix. Verstappen limped back to the pits, fitted fresh tyres and was able to rejoin the race in P5 where he finished at the chequered flag.

Horner came on the radio to Max after the race suggesting the collision was Norris’ fault, which Zak Brown immediately objected to. “It seems to be that Red Bull are scared of Max,” Brown said since. 

“We’re very honest with our drivers. If nobody tells him that what he did wasn’t within the regulations, why should he think otherwise?” Brown believes Verstappen crosses the line when moving in the braking zone, something Max denied after the Austrian Grand Prix.

Russians threaten Haas

 

 

 

Red Bull report McLaren to FIA

Behind the scenes, the Bulls have been closely scrutinising just how McLaren have caught up. The progress of the Woking outfit since the start of 2023 in particular has been remarkable but last time out in Silverstone, Red Bull complained to the FIA about the MCL38 not complying with the regulations.

The team had opened a sensor hole on the brake disk, which some eagle eyed Red Bull employee spotted and team boss Andreas Stella now admits they closed it up for compliance purposes with a “piece of tape.”

Brown explains its true he has more run ins with the Red Bull team boss than anyone else in the F1 paddock. “I speak up on issues. It just seems I have more issues with him [Christian], more than others, because he says and does stuff I think is wrong,” said Brown adding, “I was trying to protect the integrity of the sport and they didn’t take it seriously. That’s why I spoke up.”

Meanwhile Lando Norris was quickest ahead of Max Verstappen in FP2 although the bad news for Red Bull is he believes the car can be even further improved ahead of qualifying this afternoon. Lando clocked the fastest time of a 1:17.788 on the soft tyres to top the session, nearly a quarter of a second clear of Max Verstappen in the heavily-upgraded Red Bull and over half a second clear of the lead Mercedes of George Russell.

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Norris confident in Hungary

“It was definitely a good first day, but we have a bit more work to do if we want to be comfortable,” Norris explained. “I feel like we have the speed in the car, it is just being able to deliver it when you need to. 

“You can have a fast car that is easy to drive – that is an ideal world – but obviously more often than not you have a fast car which is a bit on the edge and a little bit more difficult.

“It is just about playing around the balance of where you want to sit, and that is just down to driver preference, but [Friday] felt good but there is definitely a little bit more the comfort side that I would like, just so I can deliver a little bit more than just one lap a day.”

Norris believes the drivers will face a tough race on Sunday with ai temperatures of between 35-40 degrees celsius. Track temperatures could reach 60 degrees and while the race is not the most physical, the heat will making driving the cars uncomfortable with the drivers needing to stay hydrated.

Big Red Bull development in Hungary

 

 

 

Verstappen publicly defends Perez

Red Bull Racing have been caught by the chasing Formula One pack, with Mercedes winning the last two races and Verstappen having been victorious in just three of the last six. The RB20 lost its air of invincibility in Monaco this year as the suspension could not ride the kerbs properly costing the drivers significant amounts of lap time.

Then in Austria as Verstappen and Norris battled for the lead, a coming together at turn three for which Max was penalised, caused the quicker McLaren to retire, while Verstappen limped home in P5.

Having a weekend off before this week’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Red Bull have been focused on bringing their biggest upgrade of the year to the RB20, according to Dr. Marko speaking to Kleine Zeitung publications… READ MORE