Red Bull bolted back by flexi-tests claims Lewis Hamilton
McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton is convinced that Red Bull’s performance has been bolted back due to the ramped up wing flexibility tests since the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.
Team McLaren led calls for stricter flexibility tests after the footage from the Hungarian and German Grand Prix clearly showed the Red Bull’s front wing was getting too close to the ground creating potential aerodynamic advantage.
Stricter tests were conducted at Spa in order to make sure that Red Bull is not using a forbidden advantage. The tests were conducted before the loading tests of the front floor of the car were increased at Monza.
Red Bull denies making any major changes beyond its rivals but Hamilton claims that he was convinced that it did make a difference.
“Good question. In Hungary, they were two seconds per lap faster than the rest of us. It is simply impossible to have a lead like that”, he told the media on a visit to Berlin this week.
Lewis Hamilton specifically answered the question regarding Red Bull cheating earlier in 2010. Hamilton stated that McLaren has always followed the rules regulated by the FIA and the team always makes sure that their car are legal
with respect to the rules set by the FIA. Red Bull had to rebuild their car after these tests and take a step back. The FIA eventually made the right call.
Hamilton was asked about his psychological warfare with his championship rivals and former McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso. The British driver thinks that it is quite natural that mind games begin as the season approaches its end.
Lewis believes that he is strong enough and ready for it and is not worried about these things. He thinks that it is better if the drivers’ do the talking on the track rather than the press.
The former world champion was not quite concerned by the gap between him and Mark Webber at the top of the drivers’ standings and insists that it looks bigger than it is according to the new scoring system.
“I spoke with the team on Sunday night, and we looked at things in their proper perspective: I'm still third overall in the points table and I am 20 points off the championship leader,” he said.
This difference is less than a race win and the difference is not as big as it looks. This statement from the young McLaren driver will create a lot of pressure and panic amongst the Red Bull camp and if Lewis Hamilton is right about
the flexi-tests, Red Bull will be in a lot of trouble.
Lewis Hamilton is convinced that Red Bull's performance has been pegged back by the ramped up wing flexibility tests since the Belgian Grand Prix.
McLaren led calls for stricter tests after footage from the German and Hungarian Grand Prix showed the Red Bull's front wing, getting very close to the ground, creating a potential aerodynamic advantage. At Spa-Francorchamps, stricter front wing tests were
introduced before the loading tests on the front of the floor of the car were also increased at Monza.
Red Bull denies having to make any major changes above and beyond its rivals, but when Hamilton was asked, he was convinced it had made a difference.
"Good question," he told the media on a visit to Berlin this week. "In Hungary they were two seconds per lap faster than the rest of us. It is simply impossible to have a lead like that."
When asked specifically if he thought whether Red Bull was cheating earlier in 2010, Hamilton answered, "We have always kept to the rules. Our people wondered if their car was legal and we asked the FIA. After that Red Bull had to rebuild their car and take
a step back. It was a good decision by the FIA."
He was also asked about the apparent psychological warfare being deployed by his championship rivals at present, particularly by his former McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso.
"It's normal that, at the end of a season, the mind games begin. I'm strong enough and ready for it. I'm not worried, but I think it's best if you just do your talking on the track," said Hamilton.
Hamilton said he was not overly concerned by the gap in points to Red Bull's Mark Webber at the top of the drivers' championship, which he insists looks bigger than it is under the new scoring system.
"That's still less than a race win - it's easy to get disheartened by being 20 points away, because it sounds such a lot, but under last year's rules, that's only about eight points - and to be eight points off with four races left is nothing really."
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