In just a few hours, the Formula One teams will wake up and reveal the results of their labours during the new autumn break. Most of the competitors are expected to bring upgrades but it is the Red Bull RB20 which will attract the most attention.

Paddock whispers suggest Red Bull have created late in the year a ‘B-Spec car’ designed to turn around its lack of performance for the last six race weekends.

The notion of B-Spec car has changed in F1 over the years, but even so, if true this will have used a significant amount of Red Bull’s restricted resources and indeed the COTA revised RB20 may then become the platform Red Bull are intending to use for 2025.

 

 

 

Red Bull upgrades take centre stage

Now the FIA has declared the McLaren ‘flexible wings’ as legal undoubtably Reed Bull will incorporate some element of that Woking design into there RB20 upgrade. But veteran F1 commentator Peter Windsor has “doubts” over what in fact the world champions will have achieved.

“In my experience, copying front wings of other quick cars never ever produces a result. Particularly if you’ve got a different car to everyone else anyway.

“I’m sure Red Bull, like everybody, is playing with front wings throughout the year, floor throughout the year, strakes throughout the year. All those aero appendages,” concludes the ex-Ferrari team manager.

Meanwhile Red Bull are at the centre of intense media scrutiny after the FIA issued a clarification over how they would be inspecting ride height. An unnamed outfit has apparently been using an adjustable bib at the front of the car which can be lowered and raised for low and high fuel settings.

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Red Bull ‘trick’ system

During qualifying with lighter fuel the bib can run lower, but then it is be adjusted ‘illegally’ for race day when the weight of the car will be greater. This is in effect a ride height adjuster and against parc ferme regulations.

Red Bull have admitted to using a ‘trick’ device as a spokesperson revealed to RacingNews365, “Yes it exists although it is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to run. In the numerous correspondence we have with the FIA, this part came up and we have agreed a plan going forward.”

All teams submit via an open source system the car designs to the FIA. Upgrades throughout the season are also entered onto this system which each of the competitors has access too.

The new method by which the FIA decides whether a team is in a ‘grey’ area includes this process, few now are the days where scrutineering find an illegally designed component and throw the competitor out of the track session.

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Piastri calls RBR ‘cheats’

Of course the teams prefer this collaborative approach to scrutineering, which is either ‘fair and balanced’ or allowing ‘some to cheat’ – the viewpoint depends which side of the fence you are on.

The ever growing in confidence, Oscar Piastri has called Red Bull out for ‘cheating’ when challenged for his thoughts.

“I didn’t know that Red Bull admitted to it,” Piastri told assembled Media in COTA. “It’s not really for me to get involved in. I don’t really know much about it,” replied the Aussie.

“We’re obviously pushing the boundaries of the technical regulations, everyone is. It’s what makes F1, F1 – but from what I’ve heard and been told, something like this is not pushing the boundaries. It’s clearly breaking them.”

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Hamilton defends “innovative” trick

On the other side of the fence, Lewis Hamilton has defended Red Bull’s use of an “innovative” trick which has been branded illegal after an FIA investigation.

“Look, I mean I’ve only just heard about it before I got here, but the name of our sport is all about innovation,” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1.

“Red Bull have been the leaders and they’ve innovated, and ultimately, all the teams look at the rules and massage them to try get the most out of it, even if it is just over the edge a little bit,” said the Brit who has won the most Grand Prix of all time.

Hamilton noted the FIA have made a statement, ‘which is the end of the matter’, but he questioned how long Red Bull have been using the device and whether thad been decisive in winning their recent championships.

Red Bull surprise B-Spec car in COTA

 

 

 

Verstappen gives clearest explanation

Since Lewis Hamilton was desperate for Mercedes to ditch their unique concept of the new 2022 ground effect cars and follow Red Bull’s lead, his following comments are a little strange.

“I don’t think that is is just one thing that is going to stop them, but everyone else has got to continue innovating as a leader rather than trying to catch up,” Lewis said. Yet when Mercedes were being innovative, Hamilton was calling for “accountability” telling the world ‘they didn’t listen to me’ and their design was wrong.

Max Verstapopen perhaps gave the clearest explanation of what was going on at his media event on Thursday. “For us, it was just an easy tool. When the parts were off, it was easy to adjust. But once the whole car is built together, you can’t touch it. So, for us it doesn’t change (anything),” the world champion revealed.

“When I read it, I was thinking about other teams doing it. And then I found out it was related to our team. We never even mentioned it in the briefings, it was just an easier tool to adjust stuff.”

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FIA change procedures

The FIA have altered their methodology to check the heights of the Bib more accurately going forwards. “While we have not received any indication of any team employing such a system, the FIA remains vigilant in our ongoing efforts to enhance the policing of the sport,” a statement read.

“As part of this, we have implemented procedural adjustments to ensure that front bib clearance cannot be easily modified. In some cases, this may involve the application of a seal to provide further assurance of compliance.”

Max on the whole has gone well at COTA in previous visits but this year in particular will be a bell weather test to see if his team are back on the right lines with the RB20 design.

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Report: Liberty Media to lose billions of dollars

Formula One has been through many growing pains since its inception in 1950 when going racing was very different from now. Most of the Grand Prix were held in Europe and the sport was held in muddy fields with little proper infrastructure.

Over time the sport has evolved through a variety of eras with one of the most important being the resolution of the enduring debate over who cold market the sport and how was this activity to be prevented from influencing the regulatory control of F1.

Around the turn of the millennium, the European Commission began to take interest in how Formula One was being run. At the time Bernie Ecclestone held positions of authority within the FIA and he controlled the commercial rights to the sport.. READ MORE