CAN RED BULL’S FORMULA ONE TEAM BE BEATEN?

Jonathan Rudd, Year 12 writes...

For eight years, from 2014 to 2021, Mercedes dominated the F1 Constructors’ Championship, winning every year. Then, in 2022, times changed.

After Max Verstappen won the Drivers Championship in 2021, Red Bull followed his victory with an extremely successful 2022 season, with 17 race wins for the Austrian racing team.

The RB19 is the Red Bull car and, so far this seeason, it has been notorious for its blistering pace. The navy-blue rocket recorded a speed of 343 km/h at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, 10km/h faster than the next fastest car.

What makes the RB19 so fast?

The Red Bull’s ability to create immense downforce separates it from the rest of the field. The downforce created by the RB19’s floor is 20 times more important and powerful than what is generated by the surfaces on the top of the car. Kravitz, a very prominent face in F1 said: “Red Bull are able to run their floor flat and low to the track which gives the car immense useable downforce across the speed range.”

Yet it is Red Bull’s powerful Drag Reduction System that has perhaps been most evident in their 2023 domination, so far. The DRS aids the driver in overtaking, which enables Super Max or Checo to climb places if they do badly in qualifying. The immense strength of the RB19’s DRS makes it virtually impossible for anyone else on the grid to defend against them.

How will the rest of the field catch them?

Frankly, the only way other teams will be able to catch Red Bull, this season, is by copying them.

Aston Matin received a lot of flack at pre-season testing because it was obvious that they copied the Red Bull. Horner, Red Bull’s team principle, said that he was “flattered” by their design.

However, having copied Red Bull, Aston Martin are flying this year, really looking like the only consistent team to even make Red Bull struggle in the slightest. If it works for Aston Martin, then it must be the only option for the other teams.

In conclusion, the RB19 is looking like the fastest and most consistent car since the legendary W12. It will be extremely hard to catch, and we have seen this in the races, so far, this year.

Yet not all hope is lost! Hamilton, in his W14, was able to be only 0.179s behind Verstappen in Australia. Mercedes or Aston Martin has a chance....