Is the RB19 Dominant?

[PlatinumZealot]

After only two races and despite the intention of the new regulations to tighten the field spread, I fear we are witnessing the most dominant car of all time...

Red Bull Nineteen...

[organic]

Not a question it's the most dominant car since 2016.

So far it's been 2 races and they haven't had a huge gap in qualifying but in race pace RB have had about 1s/lap advantage over everyone. They're nursing reliability issues (large ones in Bahrain) and still winning by a country mile.

Don't think it's going to be most dominant car ever as you have the W05, fw14b, MP4/4.. but the increased reliability (especially engine), lower dnf rate, high number of races will cause records to be broken

For such a dominant car to be built with roughly equal engines, very limited rules in terms of suspension etc, budget cap and aerodynamic testing rules... it is very impressive

However I consider most of the dominance to come from the failings of Mercedes and Ferrari. RB are about 1-1.5s clear of AMR, Ferrari, Merc and Alpine which was a very similar gap RB had to the midfield last year (alpine/McLaren). Merc and Ferrari have simply fallen backwards with their limited understanding of ground effect and various problems. When the competitors fail, it flatters the team who has done the expected performance; this is one of those situations in my opinion.

[napoleon1981]

After only two races and despite the intention of the new regulations to tighten the field spread, I fear we are witnessing the most dominant car of all time...

Red Bull Nineteen...

I opened up the first race of 2015 just for reference. I would say its about 50% as dominant as the Merc that year. It certainly isnt 1.5 seconds faster in Qualy.

Also we now have Perez vs Verstappen, I have heard that the mercedes dominant years were actually some of the best because of the Rosberg Hamilton battles, so I think we are in for a treat.

[AR3-GP]

After only two races and despite the intention of the new regulations to tighten the field spread,

In many ways this was achieved at the beginning of 2022. We had a tight battle. Ferrari vs RB. Haas and Alfa Romeo managed to catch Mercedes! Unthinkable in the previous ruleset.

But then everything got political and they ruined it with TD039 and the floor edge diffuser height changes respectively. Ferrari ruined by TD039, and Mercedes admitting they mishandled the '23 regulation change.

[mendis]

After only two races and despite the intention of the new regulations to tighten the field spread, I fear we are witnessing the most dominant car of all time...

Red Bull Nineteen...

Thanks to Mercedes! Their Baku drama played a major part in TD039 and Anti-porpoising rules that gave all the advantage to Red Bull.

[organic]

After only two races and despite the intention of the new regulations to tighten the field spread, I fear we are witnessing the most dominant car of all time...

Red Bull Nineteen...

Thanks to Mercedes! Their Baku drama played a major part in TD039 and Anti-porpoising rules that gave all the advantage to Red Bull.

Did anti-porpoising rules like diffuser throat height and floor edge height help rb? I don't think there's any evidence of that.

It's true that td039 played a major part by double kneecapping Ferrari but that was largely due to the plank rule changes, not anti-porpoising stuff.

[mendis]

After only two races and despite the intention of the new regulations to tighten the field spread, I fear we are witnessing the most dominant car of all time...

Red Bull Nineteen...

Thanks to Mercedes! Their Baku drama played a major part in TD039 and Anti-porpoising rules that gave all the advantage to Red Bull.

Did anti-porpoising rules like diffuser throat height and floor edge height help rb? I don't think there's any evidence of that.

It's true that td039 played a major part by double kneecapping Ferrari but that was largely due to the plank rule changes, not anti-porpoising stuff.

Spa last year gave all the indications.

[organic]

Thanks to Mercedes! Their Baku drama played a major part in TD039 and Anti-porpoising rules that gave all the advantage to Red Bull.

Did anti-porpoising rules like diffuser throat height and floor edge height help rb? I don't think there's any evidence of that.

It's true that td039 played a major part by double kneecapping Ferrari but that was largely due to the plank rule changes, not anti-porpoising stuff.

Spa last year gave all the indications.

The floor edge height and diffuser throat height changes weren't implemented until the 2023 season

Mid-season (just before spa) change was limited to the porpoising metric which seemed easily avoidable by not hitting kerbs/bumps too hard (and hindered RB a few times too) and the plank changes (which is what hurt Ferrari)

The only thing suggesting that the anti-porpoising changes helped RB is that they're very fast now, but I think it's more that Ferrari and Merc have struggled rather than anything else.

[AR3-GP]

The only thing suggesting that the anti-porpoising changes helped RB is that they're very fast now, but I think it's more that Ferrari and Merc have struggled rather than anything else.

Ferrari are probably reeling from TD039.

Mercedes already showed their inexperience in ground effect regulations with the W13. Mercedes intended to run their floor as low as possible and encountered porpoising. RB was doing the opposite. Higher ride heights and no porpoising.

Regs change

Now Mercedes develops for higher rideheight. Red Bull returns with low ride height again, lower than anyone. Mercedes are flabbergasted because they thought they were following RB. It's like RB know exactly what to do and how to react to geometry changes in the floor regulations. The changes weren't going to hurt RB. It was only going to hurt teams who don't know what they were doing, like Mercedes.

[mendis]

Every time there's a floor regulations change that has come in, it has strengthened Red Bull and hurt Mercedes. This has been the case in 2021, 2022 and 2023. It just seems like Mercedes has no clue how to handle floor performance.

[FW17]

All of this was due to Merc engine not having a horse power advantage anymore. 2021 was the first year where they started on par with competition. Mercedes and vehicle dynamics department were good, but were flattered by the engine.

[Aesop]

After only two races and despite the intention of the new regulations to tighten the field spread, I fear we are witnessing the most dominant car of all time...

Red Bull Nineteen...

I opened up the first race of 2015 just for reference. I would say its about 50% as dominant as the Merc that year. It certainly isnt 1.5 seconds faster in Qualy.

Also we now have Perez vs Verstappen, I have heard that the mercedes dominant years were actually some of the best because of the Rosberg Hamilton battles, so I think we are in for a treat.

It's so dominant even Perez can qualify front row on merit. But I can't see a Hamilton-Rosbergesque battle.

[LM10]

After only two races and despite the intention of the new regulations to tighten the field spread, I fear we are witnessing the most dominant car of all time...

Red Bull Nineteen...

I opened up the first race of 2015 just for reference. I would say its about 50% as dominant as the Merc that year. It certainly isnt 1.5 seconds faster in Qualy.

Also we now have Perez vs Verstappen, I have heard that the mercedes dominant years were actually some of the best because of the Rosberg Hamilton battles, so I think we are in for a treat.

It's so dominant even Perez can qualify front row on merit. But I can't see a Hamilton-Rosbergesque battle.

Perez has his tracks and Jeddah is one of them. He got pole last year too, when the F1-75 was a qualifying monster.

[chrisc90]

A monster Merc PU probably shadowed a aero deficit on all of the Merc cars during the hybrid era.

Nothing wrong with Perez at all. He had great moments last year and showing well this year. Remember it was reported that the car is also more in Perez favourite window rather than Max, so be interesting to see if that also shows as the season progresses. At the moment it would indicate that statement made was true.

[Big Tea]

Just to reiterate what I said often when Merc was the top dog, the problem is not with Red Bull, they work to the same regs as anyone else.
The other teams are falling short, not RBR are at fault.
There may be reasons for the gap, but AM have just shown how much of a step up is possible in one leap.