Red Bull refutes claims linking Adrian Newey’s exit to its recent performance issues, pointing to critical flaws in the RB20.
Helmut Marko, Red Bull advisor, denied that Adrian Newey’s departure from the team is one of the main reasons for the team’s recent poor performance.
Red Bull started the season strongly but has struggled to perform lately, with McLaren closing the championship gap to just eight points after last weekend’s race in Monza.
Max Verstappen has not topped the podium since the Spanish Grand Prix in June, as Red Bull searches for answers to the problems it is facing.
In his column for Speedweek, Marko stated that Newey’s departure was not linked to the team’s decline in form.
“During the Monza GP weekend, we realized there was a major and fundamental problem in the RB20. Positively, everyone is working together and making great efforts to find a solution.”
“We transformed an F1 car that dominated the early races into one that is more or less unpredictable and very difficult to drive. And we need to get rid of it.”
“We explain these performance fluctuations, sometimes within minutes, by saying we have created an F1 car that reacts extremely sensitively to the slightest changes – whether it’s the outside temperature, a different tire compound, or less fuel on board. Then the right balance found disappears again.”
“We also think that comparing wind tunnel results and track data is part of the problem.”
“Of course, fans are circulating the opinion that our drop has something to do with Adrian Newey’s departure.”
“But that’s not true. Newey was no longer involved in all the details of vehicle development by spring.”
“Of course, it cannot be denied: Newey is Newey, a man with incredible experience, which has always distinguished him. But our problem lies elsewhere.”
“Examples from Mercedes and, to a lesser extent, Ferrari have shown how much teams are struggling with these ground effect F1 cars.”
Verstappen stated after last weekend’s Monza race that it was not realistic for Red Bull to win both titles this year.
However, Marko is convinced that Red Bull can solve its issues and return to a competitive position to push back against McLaren’s title race.
“I remain optimistic: we have a very broad technical team, and I am convinced we can resolve this issue.”
“The key question now is: how do we regain the right balance of our F1 from the first part of the season?”
“Max said at Monza that he didn’t need an extra twenty downforce points if it made the car unusable.”
“So we need to rebuild and, hopefully, find the point where the car was balanced. If we achieve that, the car’s behavior will become predictable again, drivers will gain confidence, and can drive ideally once more.”
“Of course, it’s a tough task because we’ve installed many new parts on the car since then. In other words, we need to figure out where we made a technical mistake.”
Improvements at Baku? Marko remains cautious.
“We have always been competitive at Baku, but this time, how quickly we can restore the desired balance in the car will be crucial.”
“If we can achieve that to some extent, then we should be better positioned for the Azerbaijan GP than last time. And if Verstappen gets a car he can reasonably fight with, then his extra class will come to the fore, which we can continue to rely on.”
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No Newey Link in Red Bull Slump, Team Blames RB20 No Newey Link in Red Bull Slump, Team Blames RB20
