Red Bull Racing went from being the team to win 22 of the 23 races in the 2023 season to being challenged by McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari halfway to the 2024 F1 season. The tables have turned drastically not only because of rivals’ performance gains but also due to RB’s decline.
Since the significant upgrade package was introduced in Hungary, Red Bull Racing faced several issues, including instability around corners and lack of pace. Meanwhile, F1 pundit recently exposed the Bulls of using illegal means in brake set up and after the controversy exploded, FIA decided to intervene and limit the potential exploitation in future.
FIA Bans Asymmetrical Braking Set Up In Mid-Season Regulation Changes
Max Verstappen faced an unfortunate DNF in the 2024 Australian Grand Prix after his brakes burst into flames due to overheating. Hence, to curb the issue, Red Bull Racing reportedly used an asymmetrical braking setup which is illegal in the books of Formula 1 governing body, FIA. FIA directives clearly state that both sides’ brakes should be perfectly aligned, as asymmetric nature causes excessive steering. As per Article 11.1.2, ‘The braking system must be designed so that, within each circuit, the forces applied to the brake pads are of the same magnitude and act as opposing pairs on a given brake disc.’ Meanwhile, F1 pundit Peter Windsor recently claimed that RBR exploited this rule to tame Verstappen’s brake overheating issue before FIA discreetly got rid of it in the Miami Grand Prix.
That clamp could have potentially led to Max Verstappen’s struggles, stated Windsor. Meanwhile, after an uproar on social media, FIA formally banned the usage of an asymmetrical braking system for the rest of the 2024 F1 season. The new changes will be effective from the upcoming Dutch Grand Prix. However, the governing body clarified that the mid-season changes are unrelated to the cheating claims surfacing around Red Bull. Regardless, the fans are smart enough to connect the dots. There’s never smoke without a fire, and mid-season regulation changes are uncommon unless a team is found to be guilty of exploitation. It remains to be seen how the drink-based outfit circles back at Milton Keynes to weather the storm. McLaren and Mercedes are likely to come out all guns blazing in the second half. And with the constructors championship at stake, the margin of error for RB has diminished.
Red Bull Senior Admits Misstep In RB20 Development
Meanwhile, ahead of the second-half resumption, Red Bull senior Helmut Marko confessed that the team messed up a step in RB20 development, which contributed heavily to their struggles. He recalled that at the beginning of the season, the car was stable and adaptable to all tracks and conditions.
However, the Red Bull engineering team back in Milton Keynes apparently took a wrong turn in upgrade packages, which led to chaos. “The car has become a b*tch that only Max can tame,” Marko said. As a result of the misstep, the RB20 is becoming more and more unpredictable and uncontrollable with each passing day, said Marko.
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