Red Bull has been the benchmark in Formula 1 but their advantage has started to decrease in the last few Grands Prix.
Whereas Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix by 25 seconds compared to the next non-Red Bull car, that advantage was cut to just 3.8 seconds in Canada.
The RB20 was not the fastest car in Montreal with George Russell beating Verstappen to pole on Saturday. Even though the Dutchman won the race, it was mainly through the errors of Lando Norris and Russell in the tricky wet-to-dry conditions.
Team principal, Christian Horner, expected their advantage to be significantly less compared to this year, citing the convergence of teams as they adopt similar ideas and concepts to the RB20.
One of those has been thrust into the spotlight ahead of the European triple header, with it being a subject of tension between the top teams behind the scenes.
Red Bull concerns over rivals front wings
Flexible front wings have become a topic of conversation again the paddock, with Red Bull openly expressing concerns over the designs of their rivals.
According to a report by AMuS, the Milton Keynes outfit has “pointed the finger more and more openly at the front wings of McLaren and Ferrari” for producing front wings that bend under increased loads.
Although flexible front wings are outlawed in the regulations, with the FIA requiring teams to pass various load tests before they can use the parts, it is accepted that wings will flex to a certain degree when under aerodynamic load.
The trick is finding the sweet spot between passing the load tests and achieving the maximum performance gain from such a design, something McLaren, Ferrari and new Mercedes has reached.
Mercedes arrive at design breakthrough with W15
AMuS reports that instead of teams protesting each others designs, they are coming up with their own solutions which has upset Red Bull.
Mercedes’ new front wing, introduced in Monaco, is part of the reason why they were competitive in Montreal having taken the initiative themselves to come up with a design similar to their rivals.
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This addresses the balance issues their drivers have experienced since the start of the season, delivering a key aerodynamic benefit with these ground-effect cars that will transform their fortunes this season.
Technical director, James Alison, believes that while it has “made the car the drivers’ friend” he caveated their performance by highlighting the characteristics of Montreal “probably made it a little quicker than we have a natural right to command.”
Whether the FIA chooses to tighten the rules will likely be a topic among teams throughout the triple header in Europe, while Red Bull hopes to increase their advantage.
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