Revealed: The key to Red Bull’s F1 2023 pre-season dominance
According to a report in Auto Motor und Sport, they were told by an unnamed Mercedes source that Red Bull’s RB19 can run “ten millimetres lower” than the rest of the grid.
“They are ten millimetres lower than everyone else. If we drove that low, the underbody would break,” they told AMuS.
The key to being quick in this generation of F1 is running your car as close to the ground as possible which in turn generates more downforce.
The main reason Mercedes struggled during 2022 was they wanted to run their W13 low to the ground but in turn, it resulted in severe porpoising, with the airflow not remaining stable throughout the lap.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has described the traction of the RB19 as “breathtaking”, with Max Verstappen the heavy favourite going into this weekend’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
Aston Martin are another team that have enjoyed a successful test, with Fernando Alonso’s race run bettering Ferrari’s.
While their true pace relative to Ferrari, and Mercedes, for that matter is still unknown, Aston Martin’s AMR23 does share similar characteristics to the Red Bull.
Like Red Bull, Aston Martin are able to run at a lower ride height, but the reasons behind why they can are being pinpointed towards the front of the car.
Aston Martin use the Mercedes gearbox, power unit and rear suspension thus the difference could come at the front axle.
Should Red Bull and Aston Martin kick start their seasons in impressive fashion, all of the other eight teams will likely be taking notes as they plan their course of development for the rest of the year.
