Red Bull CTO Slams Regs for Leaving Engineers in a Muck: “Little Embarrassing That F1 Has Gone This Way”

Each time F1 introduces new regulations for the cars, teams scramble to adapt to the best of their abilities. Current regulations have left engineers with a headache and are too demanding for them. Red Bull‘s Adrian Newey has now taken the ruling body to the task despite his team championing the latest regulations.

Ever since the start of the hybrid engine era, Red Bull was left wanting. Failing to adapt to the regulations saw them go through a long streak of trophyless seasons. However, the regulations introduced for the 2022 season onward were a blessing in disguise. But they made the cars heavier, something which the Milton-Keynes-based outfit struggled with during the first few races of the season.

Speaking with journalist Dieter Rencken, RB CTO Adrian Newey said, “In short, cars have become bigger and heavier and are not particularly aerodynamically efficient because they have a lot of resistance. I think it is a little embarrassing that Formula 1 has gone this way, especially because at the moment there is a need and the opportunity to do exactly the opposite.” [Translated using Google]

“Obviously, this wrong direction is the same that the automotive industry in general has been taking lately: larger and heavier cars and people’s obsession with whether they run on batteries or gasoline. The biggest problem is the amount of energy it takes to move the damn thing, no matter where that energy comes from. It seems that the technical rules of Formula 1 do not understand that, because the big car manufacturers obviously do not want that.”

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Red Bull won 17 of 22 races in 2022, a record-breaking feat. However, the coming season is going to be difficult for them because of cost cap sanctions.

Red Bull TP urges the team to pull up their socks

The FIA found Red Bull guilty of breaching the cost cap in 2021 by $2.2 million. While the actual breach was somewhere around $400,000, the failure to correctly report tax receipts inflated the breach by $1.4 million. Resultantly, FIA sanctioned the team with a $7 million fine and a 10% reduction in wind tunnel time. Speaking briefly after the announcement of sanctions, Christian Horner told how they could affect their next year’s car development.

Earlier this month, he urged his team not to rest on their laurels. GP Fans quoted him saying, “Never be complacent about winning and enjoy every result, enjoy every victory and enjoy every moment because it is so well earned and it means so much that they should never be underestimated.”

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Do you think Red Bull will suffer because of the wind tunnel sanctions? Or is the ongoing momentum too strong in their favor?