The suspension of the Red Bull RB19 is what makes it unique
For Juan Molina, the handling of Red Bull cars in the corners, regardless of their speed, gives them a definite advantage over the competition. However, the aerodynamicist refuses to believe that Red Bull uses active suspensions but clearly sees unparalleled technical expertise in it.
Active suspensions were banned from F1 in 1994, as part of a series of changes aimed at eliminating driving aids. Several years later, Formula 1 also banned FRIC (Front-to-Rear Inter Connected Suspension), a system used by teams to maintain a constant ride height in order to improve performance.
However, the stability of the RB19, which can run very low with almost no rolling in corners, is such that some experts wonder if Red Bull’s system could resemble the FRIC. If this team, or any other, managed to find a solution, Molina believes that it would give them a definite advantage over the rest of the pack.
(I) I’m not saying that someone has it, but if someone in this field had an active suspension, they would win the world championship because you can get the car and develop it in a specific position,” said the Head of Aerodynamics at Haas. (I) That’s why we believe that if you understand what your car does, or where you want to place it, and you can put it in that position, you can achieve the desired performance. (F)
You will probably see teams going in that direction and trying to understand how to lower the car as much as possible, how to fix the bounce, and then improve your performance at high speed, low speed, which is obviously important for the driver.
However, the superiority of the RB19 does not rely solely on the car’s suspension – its DRS is worth two to three tenths more than any other car, while the straight-line speed of the car is also an additional element in the domination of the RB19.
Molina admits that it is not easy to achieve what Red Bull has accomplished with their car, if it were easy, everyone would be where Red Bull is today, he assures. It’s not just about the shape of the body, but how it works with the floor and the rear wing, as well as the different parts of the car.
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