F1 Spa Blog ,Winging it

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Written by Kate Walker

Sunday, 29 August 2010 11:00

Rumour, gossip, and intrigue are as much a part of Formula 1 as speed, power, and aerodynamics.

As with any closed community – or any gathering of people, really – chatter and speculation grease the wheels of communication. People theorise, proselytise, and scandalise.

There are currently two theories on Red Bull's flexi-wing doing the rounds of the paddock. The Milton Keynes-based team's front wing passed the FIA's new deflection tests with flying colours during the variety of inspections cars are subjected to during a race weekend, a fact that has led to much speculation.

It seems odd to say that Red Bull have lost their qualifying advantage when the team have just scored their twelfth pole of the season, but the difference between Mark Webber's P1 and Lewis Hamilton's P2 was a far cry from the 1.2 second lead Red Bull had in Hungary. It is this reduced gap that has set the pundits all aflutter.

But it's not just about the margins. The RB6's front wing did not appear to flex as much as it has done in previous qualifying sessions, which is where the theories come in.

The first explanation doing the rounds is that the RB6's qualifying advantage was cancelled out by the rain. The car is still the fastest on the grid, but the changeable track conditions and heavy rains present throughout the weekend have meant that neither Red Bull driver has really been able to open the throttle and let the car roar around the Ardennes track like a beast unleashed.

While the RB6 is undoubtedly fast, previous wet races have shown that the car is not as confident in the wet as the McLaren, and especially not on the intermediate tyres. The Red Bull is still fast enough that it can pip the MP4-25 to the post in wet conditions, but by holding back in the interests of safety, of preserving the lead. The (slightly) slower car does not experience the same cornering loads, meaning the front wing's flex is greatly reduced.

Logical as that explanation may be, it does not satisfy those in search of the aforementioned intrigue. Conspiracy theorists looking for a scandal in the hours before the race can take comfort from comments made by Red Bull's rivals, some of whom think that the front wing passed the tests because it's a modified version of the wing used earlier this season, or a revised set-up at the very least.

Martin Whitmarsh and Ross Brawn were the highest profile paddock critics of Red Bull's flexi-wing, and both men think that the wing used this weekend is visibly different to that which raced in Hungary.

Speaking in Saturday's post-qualifying melee, Whitmarsh told reporters "I wasn't that confident that [the flexi-wing issue] would be nailed, but I have to say ... the wings were of a different stiffness and positional domain than they had been in previous races. I think we could all see it, and the evidence that was collected yesterday showed that in regards to stiffness and position the front wing endplates of those cars appear to be in a different domain."

Ross Brawn was in agreement. "I think all of us can see that what was visible in the last couple of races doesn't seem to be the case here," he said. "I don't know what has happened but it looks visually to me to be different."

Meanwhile, Christian Horner has been sticking to the Red Bull line on the issue – the RB6 is completely legal, and the team are taking all investigations and additional tests as compliment to the team's hard work and engineering ingenuity.

The FIA is introducing further floor tests from Monza, but Red Bull are confident that their car does not contravene the technical regulations in any way.

Kate Walker Girlracer magazine

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