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[CookinFlat6]

Interesting facts from the Judge

Newey has a history of it

Following this year’s test in Jerez, many jumped to the conclusion that the reason for the Red Bull overheating was due to the tight packaging of the side pods. History clearly demonstrates Mr. Newey has previous in such matters.

The MP4-18 never came to be due to having smaller sidepods, which caused heating problems and despite being lightning quick, it failed the crash tests and was too unreliable. Many of the car’s radical innovations made it into the design for the MP4-19, but the first attempt was a failure and the team weathered the season with a heavily revised previous model, the M4-17D. For this project, Mike Coughlan was brought in to assist Newey with the car – something that could only be done at McLaren due to their management structure and system of hierarchy. Can you imagine this happening at Red Bull with the leadership there?

The RB3 saw a space savingly packed gearbox cause problems on the car, leading to overheating. The car had been designed too aerodynamically without enough consideration of issues beyond pure pace. This does not sound too dissimilar to the 2014 Red Bull racer, where Ade has not been controlled in the extremeness of his design. The fact that the 2014 challenger was rushed doesn’t help, too, which is another parallel to the RB3. Back then it wasn’t the design that was rushed, but the hasty opening of the wind tunnel in Bicester, which caused the designers to base their creation on less than reliable data.

Newey’s relationship with the management at Williams became tense at the end of his tenure there, mainly due to his desire to become the team’s technical director there. Not having to share the power has been one of Newey’s strongest aspects at Red Bull, but could this also be the reason for Peter Prodromou wanting out? At McLaren the Red Bull chief aerodynamicist would have been assured of a more equal working relationship.

A bundle of cash or a promise of a more senior role seems to have convinced Prodromou to stick with the Milton Keynes team for the time being, but how long will this last if success does not follow? Furthermore, how will Newey react to having the reins put on him? The reports still circle of him being interested in designing an Americas Cup entry in the not too distant future.

Whatever criticism can be leveled at Newey one thing is for sure, at least he is consistent!

[LiamCatterson]

Maybe is my view...I don't know...We need to see Lotus against the Red Bull since they haven't had a true test against the Red Bull. I can see maybe Vettel doing good as usual...I mean, Newey finding an illegal way to help Vettel tie with Fangio...I don't know about Riccardo however

[Roth]

The dominant teams just fall of a cliff, usually related to a big upheavel. It only comes as a surprise if you're stupid enough to believe teams have an inherent superiority. RBR is no different, and it's no bad thing. It humanises them and puts them into perspective. They'll be the top Renault powered team but only because resources will buy that luxury.

[CookinFlat6]

Well said Roth. However I do not believ there is a guarantee that they will be the top Renault team despite the resources they have. Ferrari can confirm this peculiar phenomenon, after winning 5 in a row with MS. They only times in F1 history a team like Lotus can overtake a RBR is at times like this - an overhaul; of the system that 1 team get wrong, like McLaren and Ferrari in 2009

Now we have evidence already that RBR are behind the other teams in design, including Lotus. We will find out in 2 days whats changed, however I do not believe we can assume RBR are guaranteed to be the 1st Renault team

Good thing is that now the media are reporting stories about RBR interested in a new engine, its now acceptable for everyone to speculate that RBR might not win a 5th year in a row. Thank God some of us have the media to tell us what to think

[Roth]

Now we have evidence already that RBR are behind the other teams in design, including Lotus. We will find out in 2 days whats changed, however I do not believe we can assume RBR are guaranteed to be the 1st Renault team

Good thing is that now the media are reporting stories about RBR interested in a new engine, its now acceptable for everyone to speculate that RBR might not win a 5th year in a row. Thank God some of us have the media to tell us what to think

I should have said over the season. Now obviously they're in a bit of cack.

I can't see any obvious gain for RBR in sniping at Renault at this moment in time, especially when half their problems are package related. Had the Renault engine been OK in testing RBR would still have had major design issues. It's like a Vettel dummy spit, all noise no logic. Maybe it's panic or maybe it's calculated distraction born of hubris. Either way they're not handling it very well.

[CookinFlat6]

But where could RBR go anyways?

Not Merc who we already full with 4 teams and likely wouldn't help RBR after the testing affair last year
Not Ferrari, not while Luca is still around
Not Honda as they are tied exclusively to Mac for at least 2015, again Mac would allow this
Maybe Cosworth who have a design but no customers, but RBR would be mad to swap to Cosworth who would be a year behind Renault and much more expensive.

Maybe RBRs arrogance is about to bite them on the bottom as Lotus get favoured by Renault

I have a feeling Lotus will be the top Renault team this year

[CookinFlat6]

Looks like Renault teams are still at least 5 seconds off the pace, and also still looks like Newey has not been able to improve his design. Yes its only testing blah de blah

Apparently Scarbs reporting that Renault cars will not be able to use full MGU-H until at least after the first race

Looks like this poll has a new impetus