Red Bull also had to modify its braking system
While the technical controversy at the Monaco Grand Prix involved Red Bull and its now-illegal perforated floor, the Austrian team was also subtly forced to modify its front brake cooling system, which the FIA deemed to be used improperly.
The rumor in Monaco was growing about the hole in the floor of the RB8. It has been confirmed, and the FIA has provided clarifications to the regulations, requiring Red Bull to revise its design in this area.
But the Milton Keynes team was not at the end of its surprises. This time, the cause was the brake cooling system of its cars. Generally, teams use brake ducts that capture outside air around the wheel, directing the flow to the periphery of the brake discs, where the air can enter through a multitude of cleverly drilled openings, thus cooling their temperature. However, the air thus brought in is disrupted by the movement of the disc, which turns in unison with the wheel.
The Red Bull engineers, on their part, have envisioned a system, visually explained in the video below, where the air would flow more harmoniously, creating much less drag: instead of being directly exposed to the brake disc, the duct allows some of the air to flow inside the hub, the part constituting the base of the wheel and connecting all its other components. The air thus evacuated still plays its cooling role, first lowering the temperature of the hub before it acts in the same way on the brake disc. This indirect cooling dissipates less heat, and to regain efficiency, the hub must be made with a material that is a very good thermal conductor.
Problem: The FIA objected, likely because, in addition to introducing a search for potentially very expensive materials, it involves making aerodynamic use of a device not intended for that purpose. Thus, Article 3.15 of the Technical Regulations specifies that: « Any specific part of the car that influences its aerodynamic performance must comply with the rules relating to the bodywork ». However, bodywork elements are prohibited in a wide area encompassing the front wheels.
Without much fuss, Red Bull was forced to manufacture new hub assemblies without drilling before the Canadian Grand Prix to get back on track. Coincidentally, this modification was implemented on a circuit where brake cooling is crucial. Thus, tonight’s qualifying session will be the first real opportunity to assess the impact on the performance level of Red Bull of this forced step backward.
