Exclusive: A Dive into ExxonMobil’s Laboratory at Red Bull

For this interview, it’s necessary to show a clean record. Indeed, Dario Izzo, the technical advisor from ExxonMobil for Red Bull, welcomes us into his secret garden, the laboratory that the oil company has set up right in the heart of the team’s garage. It is here that he conducts all his tests on the products supplied to the team. This ensures there has been no contamination during transport and that the products match the specification approved by the FIA.

As soon as the engine starts running, the oil darkens with elements from the 400 parts that make up the engine. Dario Izzo sees the mechanical particle contents displayed, with each line corresponding to a particular metal.

His analyses can prove to be essential for the proper functioning of the single-seater. He thus recalls the crucial role he played behind the scenes at the 2018 Chinese Grand Prix: During FP3, Daniel Ricciardo had a mechanical problem. The team needed to identify the source of the problem to be able to participate in qualifying. I conducted an analysis, which revealed an increase in metal content typical of the turbo. That’s what the team focused on, and Daniel was able to participate in qualifying with one minute to spare. On Sunday, he won the race! It’s obviously his greatest satisfaction experienced in this challenging role.

But it is an understatement to say that he had a big smile Sunday evening when Max Verstappen crossed the finish line in first position! The joy was even greater in the Red Bull camp as Toro Rosso was able to get Daniil Kvyat onto the third step of the podium.

The Italian advisor also experienced the change of engine supplier from Renault to Honda from the inside. This had an impact on his daily work since the working methods between the two engine suppliers are not the same: « First of all, I don’t speak Japanese (laughs). Then, Renault required me to conduct an analysis every time the car returned to the pits, so I could end up with samples all over the lab. With Honda, they only ask for analyses once per session. »

The transition between the two engine manufacturers went all the better since ExxonMobil was already familiar with Honda’s operations through their cross-collaboration at McLaren. The American company thus experienced a 21-season relationship with the Woking team before moving to Red Bull at the beginning of the 2017 season.

David Tsurusaki, the technical director dedicated to motorsports at ExxonMobil, doesn’t hesitate to take a jab at Renault: « The faster we receive the data, the more progress we can make. That’s the main difference compared to before. At the end of last season, to prepare for this season, we tested 36 lubricant variations and 40 fuel variants. Before, we could do much less because it took too long for Renault to carry out the tests and send us back the data. »

To illustrate these differences, Dario Izzo has an anecdote: « Last year, we were able to develop version 3 of the Renault engine while Renault could not. The reason is that we were able to create a new variant of the fuel to match this engine version while Renault’s supplier did not succeed. »

The fact that both teams belonging to Red Bull have the same engine supplier also allows for the exchange of information between the two teams. Thus, Dario Izzo frequently exchanges information with his counterpart at Toro Rosso, Sean Dunnett.

But it is an understatement to say that they had big smiles on Sunday evening when Max Verstappen crossed the finish line in first position! The joy was even greater within the Red Bull team as Toro Rosso was able to bring Daniil Kvyat up to the third step of the podium.

From our special correspondent in Hockenheim