- 22 Mar 08, 21:50#36904Speaking from a McLaren point of view, Newey's cars were truly awful. The only car of genuine quality he produced was the MP4-13, and even it was dreadfully unreliable.
I thought what happened to Coulthard's car in Melbourne was odd, and what has happened over the past day or two confirms that. The team have a lot of work to do.
From autosport.com:
Horner: FIA satisfied with RB4 suspension
By Jonathan Noble Saturday, March 22nd 2008, 06:21 GMT
Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner is confident that the FIA is happy with the design of the suspension on his team's cars, after holding further discussions with the race stewards prior to qualifying.
Representatives of the team were called back to the stewards following the final free practice session as part of the ongoing review into the strength of the RB4's suspension in the wake of David Coulthard's practice accident.
And after updating the FIA on the design and operating parameters of the car, Horner says there should be no need for any further intervention this weekend.
"We've been though everything with the FIA and they are happy with everything that has been provided," said Horner.
"They are happy with the way the team has dealt with the issue, and the information we provided them with, from our proof testing and laboratory testing in the UK."
When asked about why the team had been called back again after practice, Horner said: "They are just following the process through. I would be surprised to have to go back after qualifying as well, but they have every right (to call us).
"I think the FIA and the stewards are being responsible from a safety point of view and they have been looking to understand the process throughout the weekend."
Horner also confirmed that the team had made one small change to their suspension design after Coulthard's accident in a bid to guarantee no repeat.
"We made a precautionary change to one shim, the material of one shim, but nothing of any real significance," he said. "We are happy that there is more than sufficient margin within the design of the suspension to absorb any abnormal, under normal working circumstances, load.
"These cars are not designed to do is have large impacts after travelling through the air."
Although the team are confident there should be no repeat of the suspension issues this weekend, Horner said it was likely Red Bull Racing would look into the area after the weekend.
"Obviously it is an area that of course naturally we will focus on, but we are confident that there is absolutely no issue with the car in normal working parameters.
"The key thing is the cars are not designed to fly over the bumps off track. We've done thousands of kilometres with three different drivers at several different circuits during the winter, with very heavy kerb strikes in Barcelona, Jerez and Valencia without a single incident. So I don't think it to be a factor during normal operating circumstances here."
Ayrton Senna: WDC 1988,
1989, 1990, 1991
McLaren: WCC 1974, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998,
1999, 2007McLaren: WDC 1974, 1976, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2008
