kurtj wrote: ↑23 Mar 2025, 13:39
euv2 wrote: ↑23 Mar 2025, 12:47
I think if the updates that are coming soon work then we'll be slightly off Mclaren still but much more likely to take a win if they slip up. I don't think 0.300 is possible in single update this late into the regs unless we really held back a b-spec car until we got confirmation that the direction we're going in is right during pre season testing . It will take a combination of TD018 hurting MCLs balance and Redbull nailing the upgrades to start winning races again, so atleast 6-7 races away.
This is more like Mercedes 2022 situation, not as grave, but it is. They realized in Bahrain that the car isn't where they thought it would be. If there are issues in correlation or their work not yielding the output they thought it would, then it's a given that the upgrades built on such a foundation and under such circumstances, would only complicate the matter further and might take them further down the wrong path. I don't see any upgrade coming sooner as they have to go back to the root of the problem, understand it, solve it and then rework the upgrade.
Like Allison told last year, time can be your friend and enemy. If you go down the wrong path, it's an enemy. Others move forward while they have to scratch their head. It would make sense to understand the current problems, fix the tools and processes that led this situation and then simply focus on 2026. No point in wasting CFD and Wind tunnel time to fix the current situation.
Red bull already spent the 2nd half of last season figuring out their problems and they did, they traced back problems all way back to Spain 23. They partly resolved them in late season RB20 and now the balance is even further improved with RB21 at least according to Max.
The RB21 is a good upgrade over end spec RB20. The only problem is that MCL found just as much performance and they already had a lead at the end of last season. Now it's about adding more downforce and how well they can do that without disturbing the balance any further, which is easier said than done of course.