2011 Regulation changes won’t affect Red Bull’s performance – Adrian Newey
Red Bull has had the most thrilling and outstanding season in 2010 and the team proved itself by both constructors and drivers’ titles in just their 6th season in the sport. Since the team introduced the blown diffuser technology and clearly had
the best car all season, Red Bull has proved that their engineers can perform even better than McLaren or Ferrari if they want.
Both Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber struggled in the beginning of the second half of the 2010 Formula 1 season but recovered sufficiently and scored points where it mattered the most. The team was able to avoid silly mistakes in the second half of the
season. However, things won’t be easy for Red Bull in 2011 with reference to both engineering and strategy.
Since the Turkish Grand Prix in the 2010 season, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel have clearly not been the best of friends after Sebastian Vettel foolishly tried to take over his teammate for 1st place and failed, hence both the drivers had to
retire and Red Bull lost 43 points.
Apart from these mistakes, Red Bull will have to work extremely hard in order to secure a safe and fast car for 2011 since according to the new regulations passed by the FIA, the teams won’t be allowed to use double diffusers or F-ducts and since Pirelli
will be the lone tyre suppliers for next season, it won’t be easy for teams to get used to the new compound in such a short span of time.
Red Bull’s team director Adrian Newey however, believes that Red Bull will continue its reign of dominance in 2011 despite the number of regulation changes.
Adrian Newey is a very experienced and promising director in Formula 1 as he secured his 7th constructors’ title this year. Adrian has worked with teams like McLaren and Williams.
“Not necessarily. The unfortunate thing about the changes coming in next year is that they are all restrictions. So, the double diffuser is banned, which once we've all got it, banning it removes an area of freedom,” said Adrian when asked whether the regulation
changes will affect his team or not.
Red Bull had to face a lot of problems after their rivals opposed the team of using flexible front wings that were banned after the 2009 Formula 1 season. However, Newey stated that these accusations did not affect Red Bull’s performance in any way but obviously,
the team was annoyed.
“It wasn't a distraction, but it was an annoyance. I've got to say I've never known a season quite like this one for the petty finger pointing that's gone on in the paddock. It's a shame, but the bottom line is that what we've done with the front wing has
been endlessly investigated by the press and the FIA,” Newey said.
He believes that the FIA played its role and took things seriously as it is their job but what Red Bull did was completely legal. He believes that he can still design cars that have the potential to run sufficiently throughout the season and stated that
2011 will be a challenge for the team.
"The motivations are there because I enjoy my job. The ambition when I joined Red Bull was initially to get the team to a point where it could take race wins; the dream was winning the constructors' championship,” Newey added.
Red Bull will move forward to 2011 as the reigning Formula 1 champions alongside Sebastian Vettel, the drivers’ champion as the team hopes to defend its title after dominating for a second time in a row.
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