Apr.12 (GMM) Red Bull is hoping its long-awaited ‘short nose’ will put the former world champions back on track.
Having pointed the finger of blame squarely at engine supplier Renault, team owner Dietrich Mateschitz has already written off the 2015 title, telling the Austrian press this week that “second place” is now the best Red Bull can hope for.
But as the team’s struggles continued in China, it is increasingly clear that the issues with the RB11 extend beyond the steadily improving V6 power unit.
That is despite Dr Helmut Marko claiming that Renault is having trouble delivering a promised 40 horse power improvement that it can see on its test benches in Paris.
“They (the 40hp) just disappear, and no one knows why,” he is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport.
The Milton-Keynes based team, however, also now knows that it is playing a role in the 2015 struggle.
A significant bodywork upgrade for the RB11 has been delayed, because the ‘hero’ of the package – a Williams-like short nose – has repeatedly failed the mandatory crash tests.
Marko now announces: “Our big aerodynamic package is coming in Barcelona.”
The German magazine said the package involves a “completely new front wing concept” and corresponding rear end.
Marko added: “Because we could not homologate the short nose until now, we have been using the intermediate solution from testing.”