One thing is for sure, in race and qualifying trim, the RB7 has the most downforce. This is evidenced in abundance by their cornering ability through medium and high speed turns. They struggle a little in slow speed corners for traction, but clearly they’ve got the best downforce package. No doubt thanks in no small part to their diffuser design, on or off throttle.
This is a huge advantage in qualifying this season, thanks to the introduction of DRS. DRS as I’m sure you know is only available as an overtaking aid at pre-determined points during races. In qualifying however, its open season. And with so much more downforce, Red Bull are able to deploy DRS before every other car, every single corner, of every single track. Sometimes they’re even opening the flap through corners when others cars are in need of the brakes. This is an area that Red Bull have exploited this year, with Vettel able to nick a few yards on the exit of every corner, so by the end of the lap all those fractions he’s gained here and there, could feasibly amount to the huge gaps we’ve seen this year. Or at least a significant part of the huge gaps. This isn’t technical wizardry, it is simple logic, that given the rules regarding DRS, the team with the most downforce will have an advantage that would have to, by regulation, dissipate during the race.
That number on the right explains Webber's quali struggles fairly well
Now some detractors from this theory would point to the fact that Webber certainly hasn’t had a ‘DRS advantage’ during quali over the rest of the field, so this can’t be the reason for Red Bull’s phantom qualifying pace. The problem with that, and dozens of onboard Youtube videos will attest to this, is that Webber is simply nowhere near as aggressive or confident on his controls as Vettel. It’s all well and good to have this downforce induced ‘DRS advantage‘ available in qualifying, but somewhat useless if you don’t exploit it. Vettel does, Webber doesn’t. At least not to the same extent.
Those then are the most likely explanations for the RB7’s mercurial pace, and whilst I’m sure they all have at least some impact, it is difficult to know which if any is the main culprit. For this reason, everyone should pay very close attention to the British GP at Silverstone, as we could very well see a major shakeup there, with some of the questions regarding Red Bull’s pace being answered. The reason being that the FIA seems determined to have the blown-diffuser issue resolved by then, although it must be said that this deadline could change at any time.
If off-throttle blowing of the diffuser is banned from Silverstone onwards, and all of a sudden there is a dramatic disappearance of Red Bull’s dominance in qualifying, well then we’ll have our answer, won’t we. It is critical though that it is Silverstone where the deadline has been set, because that’s a Red Bull track, and if they can’t get pole there, then something has changed big time. If on the other hand, the diffuser clamp down occurred in say Canada, Monza, or Spa even, it wouldn’t tell us much as Red Bull will struggle there blown diffuser or not. McLaren and Ferrari have better engines for these power tracks, better KERS, and aerodynamic packages that are more suited to the power tracks as opposed to Silverstone. In other words, if Red Bull fail to maintain their qualifying dominance on of the power tracks, it doesn’t necessarily mean the off-throttle blowing ban had anything to do with it.
Alonso's DRS open
And I’m not the only one who is looking to Silverstone to shed some light on Red Bull’s curious pace fluctuations, Fernando Alonso admitted recently that Silverstone was the title crunch point. It wasn’t hard to read between the lines of his statement; if Red Bull fade there, which would more or less confirm it is their off-throttle blowing that is the reason for their astonishing quali pace, then the other teams have a chance of challenging this year. If not, that would imply that the source of their quali pace is something else, something that won’t be regulated out before the season closes. The most likely explanation remains the tyre’s regardless, but we’ll see come Silverstone I guess.
I do however welcome any other suggestions from you the readers as to why Red Bull are so peerless in qualifying, and yet not during the race.
Kyle Stone
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