tranquility2k4 wrote: ↑24 Jan 2019, 16:23
Wouter wrote: ↑24 Jan 2019, 13:57
Formula 1’s front wing rule changes cost Red Bull €15million but it has already recovered a large amount of performance, says the company’s motorsport advisor Dr Helmut Marko.
Marko told Motorsport.com that while the front wing would improve F1’s overtaking prospects, despite performance level “already at the standard” of mid-2018, “we are €15million poorer”.
“We have the same [aerodynamic] data as last summer,” said Marko. “By the time we get to Melbourne we'll probably be better than that.
“[But] there is now a good basis for discussion between Mercedes, Ferrari and us. We agree that regulations must not be determined by technicians.
“As soon as technicians are involved, the costs increase and everything becomes complicated.
Article.
See Marko is essentially trying to make the point that the regulation change was pointless because the teams will be at the same performance level, but what he is overlooking is the leap of performance that would have been made between 2018 - 19 without the regulation change. Even if RB are at the same level as they were last summer, they probably added half a second up until the end of the season and then would have found a second or more in the development of the new car, so in this case, the old reg car would have been 1.5 seconds or more faster, which is a reasonable difference.
I think the other point RB have (incorrectly) tried to make is that if the performance / downforce they get with the new car matches the 2018 one, then overtaking will be no different. They are clearly overlooking the obvious fact that amount of downforce doesn't directly correlate to how easy it is to overtake - clearly a car could produce downforce in a very efficient way that had very little effect on overtaking. Ultimately RB do not like the regulation change because it rules out or goes against some of their key design philosophies, and may well help Merc.
Read both parts in bold...I think you missed the first part.
Down-force does not always equal more wake sensitivity.
Note how the RB14 had the most down-force at times and could follow very closely to cars in front.
