Red Bull and Ferrari under siege for front wing design
Red Bull driver Mark Webber warns rivals to stop scrutinizing his team and instead spend time on resolving their own issues.
Red Bull’s front wing has been the topic of conversation since video footage showed the team’s front wing appearing to touch the track surface at speed. According to the rules, when static a car’s front wings must rest at 75mm above the ground. Despite passing all the standard checks, including one rigorous one in Hungary on Saturday, the design concept has come under considerable scrutiny.
"Our guys have broken their balls to design a car in the spirit of the regulations, and every time we are tested by the FIA, we pass," said Webber, who believes the team is being unfairly targeted because of their good speed.
"The car has always been passed by the FIA, so when people don't like what they see on the stopwatch, they have to justify their own positions sometimes.”
Red Bull’s blown diffuser also sparked rivalry between teams when it was released a month ago. Other teams disapproved of the Red Bull’s equipment before catching up with their technology and manufacturing their own versions of the diffuser.
Red Bull isn’t the only team with a unique front wing who has received criticism. Ferrari developed their own version which also passed all the necessary FIA tests. Ferrari’s front wing has been met with a chorus of criticism, though none of the teams voicing them have forged a formal protest.
Ferrari will re-evaluate and improve their design before the Belgian Grand Prix at the end of the month. This is a result of Ross Brawn, Mercedes team principle, claiming the tests were “not correct.”
Red Bull Team principle Christian Horner persists that there is nothing illegal about the design and that it does not contain movable aerodynamic devices. He is frustrated that McLaren are seeking further “clarification” on the matter from the FIA, despite the stringent test the cars undergo. Horner believes Red Bull is at the centre of a Formula One witch hunt,
"It is interesting where the emphasis moves. So far this year we have had active ride height, we have had suspension, we have had diffusers looked at – and now we have front wings,” Horner said after the Hungary Grand Prix last weekend.
"As always there is never a silver bullet. The performance of any car comes down to how design philosophy and a combination of components work as opposed to any one particular component.”
Perhaps McLaren is trying to buy time to develop their own version of the front wing in a bid to reclaim some of the glory they had at the beginning of the season. If the FIA deem the design okay there is no doubt the team will debut a new front wing within the next three races, but will the design come in time to put them back in the lead?
"If, ultimately, devices and systems are allowed [on parts] which in theory are meant to be rigid which allow devices to touch the ground, I guess we'll have to do it," said McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh.
Ultimately McLaren needs to stop complaining and make an improved front wing, just as Ferrari did when they realized that once again Red Bull technology supersedes the rest.
Both Red Bull and Ferrari cars passed the test, and whether or not McLaren thinks that is fair is beyond the point. The team is looking for any excuse why their own cars aren’t performing well, and would be better suited focusing on improving instead of excusing their recent results.
With the summer break in place, the next race won’t take place until the end of August. That means during the four week hiatus, all race teams must close down their factories for a mandatory two weeks.
"I would love not to have a shut-down and be ploughing on, to understand what's permissible on the front wing and make them next week, but I can't," said Whitmarsh. "It still seems odd to me to have a shut-down but it's probably good for people. We'll come back energized and fighting, ambitious and optimistic and inventive and we'll do what's necessary to make sure we can come back at these other teams."
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