SmallSoldier wrote: ↑21 Feb 2023, 21:26
Cs98 wrote: ↑21 Feb 2023, 21:12
haza wrote: ↑21 Feb 2023, 20:46
This is getting ridiculous Hardly a red bull copy similar sidepods inlets and crease but the bath tub design, pull rod front push rod rear and floor is all McLarens own interpretations most of which they’ve had since launch spec last year (suspension) go an take a look at the rp20 and then you’ll know what a copy is
It's without a doubt the closest to the RB18 on the 2023 grid, and that's with 7 cars following the same basic concept as the RB18. So I wouldn't call it ridiculous.
It is a gross over simplification though… The team was already going for a an undercut last season (which by the way wasn’t a Red Bull concept, several cars like Alpine, AR, AT had a version of the undercut from the beginning of the season), the ramps (water slides) on the sidepods (which are not a copy of the RB18) were there last season also… The cannon exit was there from launch… What is a copy exactly? The ridge on the sidepods to divert airflow from the top of the sidepod towards the side/undercut?
I mean, everyone is going to take a few cues from the other cars… But to call it a copy is a bit too much.
We still have to see more details from the car, like it’s front wing, more details on the floor (which is most probably still a V1 version of what we will ultimately see).
The sidepod is a close homage to the RB18. The general shape is very similar, the protruding lower intake, the sidepod cut, the back end packaging with the canon exit has become much more pronounced and RB-esque compared to early 2022. So it's not just that they have an undercut sidepod, the details of the undercut and the sidepod clearly draw a lot on RB. One detail they've adapted from Alpine is the waterslide, but the overall impression seeing the car from the side is definitely RB.
And this journey started in 2022. They had 4 different sidepods last season and each one looked more and more like the RB. The 2023 car is just the latest iteration.
To be clear, my first comment wasn't meant to be taken too seriously. I do think it's very similar to the RB, though not in the same class as the RP-20.