Red Bull team principal Christian Horner brushes aside RB8 legality issues – Formula 1 news
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said that he is not worried over the legality of the new Red Bull car RB8.
Questions have been raised over the new RB8’s legality of flexible aerodynamics and adjustable ride heights in the past as well. FIA though has never found anything illegal with the Red Bulls.
Horner in an interview with ESPNF1 said that he is not worried about any legality issues being raised. He added that the same sorts of issues were raised last year and it was not a big problem for the team. Red Bull went on to win the world title and the
drivers’ title in 2011.
Red Bull came up with the blown diffuser exhausts and had dominated the 2011 season with their innovation. The FIA deemed it illegal mid season but only held the band for one Grand Prix race as it realised that the teams would have make a lot of changes
mid season in order to follow the regulations.
FIA though in 2012 banned the blown diffuser exhausts and made a few other changes like the lowered nose which has caused most teams to go with the stepped nose design.
“I'd be disappointed, on previous experience, if they didn't [protest],” he joked. “Obviously we feel the car is fully compliant with the regulations when we turn up in Australia and we won't spend too much time worrying about that.”
Horner says that exhaust gases aerodynamic advantage is still a grey area while maintaining that Red Bull will keep on working on the exhausts as long as it gives them added advantage.
“It's the nature of Formula One that when a window of opportunity unveils itself the teams will put a lot of energy into that area,” he said. “Exhausts are still an immature area in terms of development and therefore there's a lot of focus gone into them
with the regulations this year.”
It will be interesting to see how well Red Bull starts the season without the blown diffuser exhaust in the car. So far during the pre-season tests, Red Bull have looked not as good as last year’s car but still clearly leading the way with McLaren and Lotus
not too far behind.
Tags: