The team from Milton Keynes has delivered impressive performances this year, primarily due to the significant advantage that drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have when utilizing the DRS.
The opposing side has been closely examining to determine whether Red Bull has utilized a clever technique to provide the speed enhancement.
Lewis Hamilton recently sparked curiosity by questioning the sudden absence of Red Bull’s DRS advantage at the high-downforce Hungaroring track.
However, according to Motorsport.com’s report, it is increasingly acknowledged that the crucial factor behind Red Bull’s DRS advantage lies in the proportion of drag that it distributes between its rear wing and beam wing.
Due to the exceptional stability of the squad’s RB19 at the back, the team can use a significantly smaller beam wing, occasionally even just a single element, compared to their competitors.
When the DRS is activated, the rear wing of the car plays a larger role in generating drag, resulting in a greater reduction in air resistance.
In circuits where maximizing downforce is crucial rather than focusing on aerodynamic efficiency (such as Hungary), Red Bull, like other teams, opts for a larger beam wing. This choice provides performance advantages during corners, but it also means that their DRS advantage is not as significant in these types of tracks.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19, with DRS open
Photo by: Mark Sutton
Other teams are now attempting to align their car development with Red Bull’s approach, but acknowledge the complexity of reducing the beam wings due to the significant downforce they provide for rear-end stability.
Pierre Wache, the technical director of Red Bull, has stated that there is no hidden mystery behind his team’s achievements. He expresses surprise at the fact that it has taken their competitors a considerable amount of time to grasp something that Red Bull has been implementing since the beginning of the current ground effect era.
“I find it astonishing that people are still discussing it two years after its introduction,” Wache expressed to Motorsport.com.
“We have undergone numerous tests conducted by the FIA to investigate any potential manipulation, and even recently, people fail to comprehend why the advantage vanishes on tracks with exceptionally high downforce.”
“They still lack comprehension, which is quite astonishing to us.”
Andrea Stella, team principal of McLaren, recently indicated that Red Bull’s advantage with the DRS is expected to persist for some time due to the team’s early lead in design.
Stella, when questioned by Motorsport.com about the significance of the beam wing approach in achieving the DRS gain, clarified that it appeared they had been dedicated to exploring this idea for a considerable period.
I believe they might be benefiting from their extensive experience in creating this type of setup. I think this has become evident as time has passed.
“We are, I think all teams now, trying to see what is possible to exploit by developing this kind of direction.”
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