Testing time in Jerez didn’t go too well for Red Bull. For all the design genius of Adrian Newey, the team broke out the drills a few weeks ago just to scallop out the body work in hopes the car would just cool down. Temperatures were at an average high of 58F degrees, and an average low of 43F – hardly hot. But the heat was on in the Red Bull kitchen as everyone packed up and left early, with hardly any laps completed. You know Newey has been burning the midnight oil these past few weeks, figuring out a way to either 1. somehow get a Ferrari engine in the back of his otherwise stellar creation, or 2. figure out how the heck to get this engine to stay within temperature limits this time around. Temperatures predicted in Bahrain over the next few days will average a very spring like 69-70 ish F, and a low not much lower. Beautiful weather over there this time of year.
Of course, there is one more test session scheduled in Bahrain, at the end of the month. That’s it, over and done with. Then the first race is mid March in Australia – where temperatures will likely be similar to what it is in Bahrain. So who’s running hotter right now? The Red Bull engine, or Newey himself? No doubt he’s under a tremendous amount of pressure. Afterall, their star drivers can’t do much if the car isn’t fully functional. With that said, there is no doubt that Newey is perhaps the greatest F1 engineer in the series history. He has a knack for applying his Hawking-esque brain to the world of racing. While I’m a Tifosi a heart, I’m rooting for Newey, and I think he will figure it out. We all know the season is long, and literally everything can happen. Particularly with the new engines, not to mention all the new rules for this year.
Kwame
Z1 Performance
Jonathan
Corner Balance 