Formu1a.uno - Analysis: McLaren-Norris super binomial, why does Ricciardo struggle?

PHOTO CREDIT: McLaren Racing

The McLaren is not losing enamel. Lando Norris will long remember the MCL35M as the first car that, not only did he understand perfectly, it allowed him to hit that very subtle balance that allows him to stay on the limit for as long as necessary, avoiding mistakes. In addition to Sir Lewis Hamilton's radio certificate of esteem, “Such a great driver, Lando”, the Englishman claimed an extraordinary front row and the podium, probably the most deserved of the year.

He is making the difference in the fight with Ferrari up to now, in addition to the horsepower and the efficiency of the Mercedes Power Unit: 40 hp more than the drivers in red are more than compensating for Daniel Ricciardo's delay.

Nonetheless, Seidl, someone who has a deep knowledge of racing, does well not to underestimate Ferrari for the still long and uncertain continuation of this season. He knows perfectly well that many points have been left on track by the Italian team, sometimes due to small errors, others unfortunate as in Imola.

But it's fair to say that McLaren and Lando Norris were there when they had to. When those in front had a hard time. We have not only seen it in Austria, “which we have to be realistic, but it was also a suitable track for our car” according to Seidl. Norris took advantage of practically every gap from the start, setting the season very well with the team right from the tests.

In the last qualifying session, he was the driver who earned the most between Q2/Q3 about 7 tenths. Were it not for the accentuated understeer in the last two corners, he could also have claimed pole position.

The MCL35M is a super-efficient car that doesn't put a lot of energy on the tyres unless you decide to 'smash' them with setup. The C5 Soft 'disposable' compounds have certainly helped, on a track, albeit a demanding one also for the traction phase, but with fewer heating problems than the front ones compared to Baku, with the MCL35M being able to make the most of the extra. grip offered.

The Englishman brings his McLaren to impressive levels as well as his trend, which even shows a slight approach to Mercedes while Red Bull took off on the W12, on average 2 tenths ahead in the Austrian events.

The continuous innovations introduced by Red Bull and McLaren are working, while for Brackley, it is now evident that the optimization of the W12 is not enough, so much so that the first real updates for the car of the world champion team will arrive at Silverstone.

Aside from a more normal performance in Spain, Lando has developed very well every weekend. If a positive result was expected in Austria for the characteristics of the track that greatly rewards efficiency, the Monaco podium, taking advantage of Leclerc's debacle and Bottas' problem, it seems, is the photograph of this first part of the season.

The new floor brought to the second Austrian race by McLaren. 7 flow diverters have been added to move the Y250 vortex more externally.
Illustration By: Rosario Giuliana

Ferrari and McLaren are very close, but the Woking team made no mistakes and are deservedly ahead.

We know the MCL35M is a very effective car on the straight, it is not so much the one with the highest speeds, but it is the one that reaches them first, even if traction is not the real strength, especially towards the SF21. After an initial and more uncertain phase of understanding, which also happened to Red Bull, the updates have improved the car's loading points, making it more consistent especially in the distances and out of corners when the track allows you not to jump on curbs or bumps.

Stability was affected in a positive way, automatically also the ease of balancing it. This would have helped Norris to boost performance and Daniel to get closer to finding a car with more load in the medium-slow sections.

The new rear endplate used by the MCL35Ms in France.
Illustration By: Rosario Giuliana

In this phase, McLaren seems to have reached a 'beneficial' efficiency, not too far macroscopically to the Ferrari SF90. Clearly, the regulatory aerodynamic cut has flattened the differences with a W12 that has seen the strengths of the 2020 car eliminated.

Why does Ricciardo struggle? In the ninth race, a new driver, especially if he is of high profile and experienced like him, should be able to be quite close to any teammate but this was not the case for the Australian.

The new front wing was used by McLaren in Spain.
Illustration By: Rosario Giuliana

The good race at the Red Bull Ring only partially redeemed the disappointing qualifying but above all, it gave us some more information on why the difference is so great.

According to the data collected, Daniel still loses a lot compared to Norris in the slow medium corners. The more the corner is high speed, the more the difference with Norris becomes thinner. It is mainly a matter of interpretation.

“We have made some important steps forward from the start of the season to now, but to get the most out of our car we need a special driving style which is not natural for Daniel. For this reason, it fails to be effective,” Seidl said a few weeks ago.

Ricciardo has certainly not unlearned anything, but he has driven all high-downforce, high-rake cars throughout his career; Red Bulls were undoubted, as was Renault, especially the one from two years ago, albeit with a lot of drag. The MCL35M, on the other hand, is very different and uses a much less pushed rake setup, slightly lower than last season's MCL35.

Before the Baku GP, the Australian spent many days in the simulator trying to take a step back and figure out what was wrong with his driving style. “I'm trying to adapt it to make the car work better. Sometimes it's frustrating to see that what you've been doing for years with other cars doesn't work, but as I said, I'm taking a step back and I think this has led me to understand a few things about how to better interpret the car”.

This corner approach aspect is something that requires a substantial change of approach. In Austria, we saw Norris bring a lot of speed into the corner by often sacrificing the apex of medium-slow corners by clearly prioritizing wider and faster sliding. This minimizes traction as much as possible which is not the strongest point of McLaren, unlike Ferrari. Take full advantage of mid-corner stability, further improved with the latest updates, rather than letting yourself be slowed down by a vain search for agility when entering and exiting. Then let the aerodynamic efficiency and the Mercedes power unit, does the rest on the straight.

Ricciardo otherwise seems to feel better using the curbs more, closing the car more to straighten it quickly on the way out, a bit like Leclerc drives the SF21 with corner set a lot to V-shaped and less to U. But with the MCL35M it doesn't work. It's a question of feeling, style, habit and obviously trust.

The key can be to trust the car a lot more when driving, modifying some of its fundamental preferences even using a little more 'dirty' load than Lando if necessary and a little better understeer. An even stiffer and more drag car could help.

Written By: Giuliano Duchessa and Piergiuseppe Donadoni

Illustrations By: Rosario Giuliana

Original Link: https://www.formu1a.uno/analisi-binomio-mclaren-norris-super-perche-ricciardo-fatica/

Formu1a.uno - Analysis: Mercedes W12, not lacking power but aerodynamic efficiency.

PHOTO CREDIT: Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport

It has become a Verstappen show in this 2021 FIA F1 World Championship. At the 2020 'copy-paste' season we never really believed it because of the regulatory changes, once analyzed in detail, were much more important and radical than initially expected.

Being then tied to the 2020 cars, it is clear that those who carried a car with some endemic defects such as Ferrari, could not expect to fight to win the world championship this year; however, there was also the risk that those starting from a very competitive car could lose performance due to a bad adaptation to the regulatory changes. So it was, in the case of Mercedes and Racing Point, now Aston Martin.

In the case of Mercedes, that perfect combination of aerodynamics and mechanics found with the W11 has been broken also thanks to a forward movement of the engine and the pressure center. With further advancement of the latter (the greater aerodynamic load value generated by the single-seater), due to the 2021 regulatory changes, the rear has remained 'decompensated': the W12 thus works in a very small operating window. The setup changes have become rather limited to avoid problems on one or the other axle.

After a third of the world championship, we find ourselves with Verstappen and Red Bull at the top of the world championship. In the last five Grand Prix, the Dutchman recovered an impressive 46 points over Lewis Hamilton, 73 even Red Bull in a Mercedes.

The seven-time world champion entered the second Austrian weekend with good impressions. Unlike the RB16B, the W12 of the Austrian GP was in the same specification as the previous weekend and the improvements could only be found through an optimization of the setup.

The sectors of the Spielberg track: comparing the best sectors of the qualifying in the Styrian GP with those of the Q2 of the Austrian GP.
GRAPHICS CREDIT: Formu1a.uno

Last week Hamilton spent many hours in the Brackley simulator finding 'promising' setups, but which once brought to the track did not give the desired results. For this reason, from FP2, the W12 of Hamilton took a step backward, using the 'basic' set-up of the previous weekend (Styrian GP) that Valtteri Bottas had used in the first hour of practice.

The low temperatures on Friday helped Mercedes get closer to Max Verstappen's RB16B but when the tarmac exceeded 50°C, both W12s failed to extract the maximum from the C5 compound, also paying duty from Lando Norris’ McLaren. They weren't expecting it at Mercedes.

Third front wing in five GPs for Red Bull. New tweaks in the mainplane area, which connects to the 'neutral' part, and to the internal part of the flaps where the important Y250 vortex comes off.
Illustration By - Rosario Giuliana

Max Verstappen instead took to the track with a further updated RB16B: new front wing specification, the third in five races, new bargeboards, and the confirmation of the shark tooth diffuser, also available to Sergio Perez this weekend.

The Dutchman, together with his staff of technicians, opted for a slightly heavier set-up than the one used the previous week to get the C5 compound working at its best in qualifying.

The speeds scored by Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in the points monitored by the FIA ​​in the Styria and Austrian GPs. 
GRAPHICS CREDIT: Formu1a.uno

This allowed the W12 to halve the gap on the straight (just over a tenth), however, the same gap opened up in the corners, thanks to not full exploitation of the C5 compound by Lewis Hamilton's W12. Also interesting is the comparison with the equal an equally powered MCL35M (Mercedes power unit): Hamilton lost almost 5 tenths to Lando Norris on the straight, recovering a couple of them in the corners, with an excellent W12 also in place against Red Bull.

There is no doubt that the car of the world championship team is the one, together with Aston Martin, to have suffered the most from the regulatory changes. In addition to no longer having that perfect combination of aerodynamics and mechanics found with the W11, its important aerodynamic efficiency has also been canceled.

An engineer from a competing team told Formu1a.uno that Mercedes has taken a two-year step back from that point of view, returning to the values ​​of the much 'resistant' (to progress) W10.

We tried to verify this with the imagery available, comparing the rear wings used in the last three seasons in Austria by Mercedes, given that that macro aerodynamic component is one of the heaviest in terms of drag.

Differences in rear wings between the Mercedes of the last three seasons.
PHOTO COMPARISON: Formu1a.uno

The result is a very charged Mercedes at the rear compared to last season. This penalizes the W12 in the straights not only in comparison with Red Bull but also and above all with the McLaren-powered peer.

It is therefore not a question of engine and horsepower as Hamilton would like to believe. An advantage that until the French Grand was in favor of Mercedes, due to the problems manifested by the Japanese PU (Honda) in Bahrain, now solved thanks to the second Honda power unit brought to the Paul Ricard track. According to what has been gathered, the PUs are now very close both in qualifying and in race conditions with a gap quantified by the competitors in the order of 5 HP. According to Ferrari, the advantage is with Mercedes, however, according to Renault, the advantage is with Honda. But little changes given in the very small gap.

Rear aerodynamic downforce further lost by Lewis Hamilton during the Austrian GP: for over half the race there were no less than 30 points missing (the teams measure the aerodynamic load in points), which in Austria are equivalent to 6 tenths per lap initially, to climb then gradually the tyres wear out prematurely. This problem destroyed the aerodynamic balance of his W12, which started to slip and put too much stress on the rear tyres.

The Low Rake setup used by Mercedes and Aston Martin were penalized more by the 2021 regulatory changes.
Illustration By - Rosario Giuliana

"I think it was around lap 30, at the exit of turn 10 [the last corner]," Toto Wolff said. "There is a rather aggressive curb there. We saw that it was not a driving error but a problem with the component that failed ”.

So Hamilton was not only slower, but he also had more tyre wear; this forced Mercedes to make a second pit stop where the mechanics, in addition to the tyre change, also removed 1 degree of front wing to balance the car as the pressure center had moved 'too far forward'.

However, even without this major problem, Verstappen's Red Bull was unstoppable for the seven-time world champion. “I think we would have been satisfied with a second and third place, which was realistically the best we could have gotten; Max's pace was in fact too strong for us." Shovlin said.

The Mercedes W12, as already labeled last week, as a car that is now at the end of its development in its performance and understanding. "We haven't been particularly strong here in general," said the British engineer. “It doesn't show that much towards Red Bull, but from how we were put under pressure by McLaren in the second round. We have not made any real progress here in either race ”.

This is why the upgrade package for Silverstone is highly anticipated as it should help unlock further potential, directly and indirectly, from a car at its peak of understanding and performance. Will it be enough? "We have some new updates for Silverstone, but I don't think they will help us bridge the gap," said a grim Lewis Hamilton in the post-Austria interviews.

At Mercedes, however, they do not give up on defeat, hoping that even the characteristics of the latest tracks on which they raced have shifted the balance of power in the world championships. This is why Silverstone, which has always been a great Mercedes stronghold, does not become an exam only for Ferrari but also and above all for the world champions.

Written By: Piergiuseppe Donadoni

Illustration By: Rosario Giuliana

Original Story: https://www.formu1a.uno/analisi-mercedes-w12-non-manca-potenza-ma-efficienza-aerodinamica/

Budgetary issues sidelines Bakkerud from permanent entry in 2021.

PHOTO CREDIT: GCK Motorsport

Earlier this week, the FIA formally confirmed the entry list for the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship, and it was clear that one name was absent. That name, Andreas Bakkerud. 

It's quite mind-boggling, as the 29-year-old competed in every season of the World RX championship to date since its inception in 2014, but due to the effects of the global pandemic. He has been unable to find the required budget for a full-time return in 2021. 

Andreas Bakkerud is one of the most loved drivers in the rallycross, not only for his winning mentality, but also because of his personality and charm. Which, will surely be missed, as the FIA World Rallycross Championship gets underway in Barcelona later this month. 

With the Covid-19 pandemic, unfortunately, businesses have had to change their outlook on cash flow, and this has had a knock-off effect for athletes globally and drivers alike. Whilst Andreas is one of the names we will miss this season. Another driver who will not for part of the full-time entry list is none other than the inaugural World RX of Benelux winner Timur Timerzyanov, which is also had to grasp. 

We've seen this scenario play out last year, as Janis Baumanis who was set to drive for KYB Team JC was forced to step aside to budgetary issues. 

If we are to take a look back to 2018 after EKS RX withdrew from the championship, Andreas was left without a season. So, in order to make the grid the following season, with hard work, he was able to collaborate with Liam Doran, and the RX Cartel was formed. The team hired two Audi's from EKS which ended with Andreas and Timmy Hansen finish level on points, with a countback of victories deciding the champion.

A year later, JC Raceteknik purchased the two Audi S1 Quattro Supercars from EKS RX, and the RX Cartel had to look elsewhere. They sealed a deal with GC Kompetition to race, two Renault Megane R.S.RX cars, but unfortunately, the car wasn't competitive from the offset, despite Andreas reaching the semi-final and finals on a number of occasions. 

Moving on to 2021, unfortunately, as stated earlier Andreas Bakkerud will not return in 2021, and he explains, why? "[My career path is] between motorsport going to electric and everything that's going on in the world with Covid-19," he said.

"What I'm trying to explain is that after 11 years where I've entered international championships. This is my first year where I haven't signed any deal with any team with any championship for me personally that's a big bummer," Bakkerud explains. "I would definitely love to be entered into a championship especially the FIA World Rallycross Championship, which I'm trying desperately to win every year and I haven't still succeeded closes with 2019 where we ended at the same point as Timmy Hansen who won the championship where we lost on amount of wins during the year."  

"So, yeah it's a big bummer to sit here and explain to you all that we're missing out on the championship. I've been working flat to manage to make it happen, but I've finally decided that will not do it due to the economy and it is due to budget. If we had a big budget we would definitely look into it, but my feeling is that I didn't want to take a bigger risk than that I can and so that's why I'm here trying to explain to you guys that will race in the championship."

Having explained why he won't be on the grid in 2021. The Norwegian tries to shed some light on what his future could potentially be. 

"I have a strong belief that when one door closes another one opens up, but who knows maybe I'm doing the Dakar next year, or maybe I'm coming back to Rallycross," he said. 

"It's very hard to say that one thing is for sure that I am missing a new Norwegian championship gold in my closet so and this year is the Norwegian karting championship at my home track in Bergen [Norway], so that's something that I'm actually the only thing I have on my calendar this year and yeah I am going to try to do some rallycross hopefully this year. Maybe some single event entries. Thus far I haven't signed into any championship, so I'm very open." 

Andreas has made it very clear that he has not quit and he'll be "coming back very soon!"

McConnell targets all-electric glory after signing up for inaugural RX2e Championship.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA RX2e Championship

Fraser McConnell is the latest rising star confirmed to be on the grid when the inaugural FIA RX2e Championship gets underway at Barcelona on July 23/24.

The Jamaican driver will be targeting the top step when the lights go green on the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship, with the pioneering series already earmarked as the future of the sport.

McConnell, who has been catching the eye at the wheel of an OMSE-run Ford Fiesta MK8 in RallyX Nordic this season, will be one of the men to beat when the cutting-edge series debuts at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Having made his rallycross bow in the North American ARX2 series back in 2018, he stepped up to the international stage in 2019 and finished fourth in the FIA World Rallycross Championship-supporting RX2 series - most notably completing a spectacular round-the-outside pass on OMSE team-mate Jesse Kallio at the Barcelona curtain-raiser.

He won the ARX2 title during the same season and progressed to the RallyX Nordic Supercar class a year later, running at the sharp end alongside eventual champion Oliver Eriksson and World RX star Johan Kristoffersson on his way to securing a second-place finish in the overall standings.

McConnell is undoubtedly one of the most highly-rated upcoming drivers currently competing in rallycross, and he is ready to make his mark on the international stage once again.

"I'm so excited to announce that I will be competing in RX2e, and I can't wait to get behind the wheel in Barcelona," McConnell said. "This championship is really pushing the boundaries of electric technology in sport, and we have already seen that these machines can produce quality racing. This is the future of rallycross, so I want to get a head-start!"

"I am super excited to find out what I can do in the car, and I hope to be competitive right from the off. QEV and OMSE have done a great job bringing the championship together, and I'm looking forward to getting started."

17-strong grid confirmed for Catalunya curtain-raiser

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media.

The entry lists for the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship curtain-raiser in Catalunya next month (23/24 July) have today been revealed, with a 17-car grid for World RX setting the scene for a sensational weekend’s racing in Spain.

The World RX line-up is headlined by defending champion Johan Kristoffersson, who is chasing a fourth World Championship crown this year after switching to Audi machinery for the first time with KYB EKS JC.

Kristoffersson will face a stiff challenge, as 2019 champion Timmy Hansen and younger brother Kevin return armed with their updated Peugeot 208 and Niclas Grönholm hungrier than ever in his Hyundai. 

Kevin Abbring should also not be discounted in the UNKORRUPTED Renault Mégane, particularly after his scene-stealing World RX debut in Norway two years ago.

A number of interesting ‘wild cards’, have the potential to spring a surprise, including two-time Euro RX Supercar Champion Timur Timerzyanov – an 11th-hour addition to the field with GRX-SET – Juha Rytkönen, who made such an impression on home soil at Kouvola last year returns behind the wheel of a Ford Fiesta, whilst double DTM champion Timo Scheider, will spearhead a three-strong ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport assault.

The release of today's entry list marks the beginning of a new era under the stewardship of Rallycross Promoter GmbH, and also the end of the era, as Andreas Bakkerud will not return as a permanent entrant in 2021. The Norweigan has been a permanent entrant since the championship's inception back in 2014. 

Timerzyanov to make World RX return at Barcelona curtain-raiser.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media.

Timur Timerzyanov will race in next month’s FIA World Rallycross Championship curtain-raiser in Catalunya on 23/24 July, in a third GRX-SET World RX Team entry.

The Russian is one of the most experienced drivers of the current rallycross generation - and, one of only three to have contested every World Championship event to date since the series' inception back in 2014. 

For the past three seasons, Timerzyanov has competed under the Grönholm RX banner alongside Niclas Grönholm, and he will once again line up for the Finnish outfit – now rebranded GRX-SET – in Catalunya in just under four weeks’ time, in what is currently labeled as a one-off appearance due to budgetary issues. If he does have only one chance to shine, the 34-year-old has every intention of grabbing it with both hands.

"Rallycross has always been such a big part of my life," he said "But the world has obviously changed a lot over the past year, and that in turn has led to sponsors re-evaluating their priorities and adopting different philosophies."

“It didn’t look like I would make the grid at all in 2021, and I need to thank my loyal partners and Jussi [Pinomäki – GRX-SET Team Principal] for working with me to make it possible for me to continue doing what I love doing – racing rallycross cars – for at least one more event."

"We only have an agreement for Barcelona at the moment, but if the opportunity presents itself to enter more rounds, I will of course take it because I really don’t want this wonderful story to end yet," he adds."Saying that, nothing is ever guaranteed and I will go out there and drive every race as if it’s my last, just in case it is – and I plan to enjoy every moment...”

Formu1a.uno - Analysis: this is how Red Bull turned the World Championship upside down.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

May 9, 2021: Spanish GP was the last Mercedes win with Lewis Hamilton. From then on, four consecutive victories for Red Bull: Monaco, Baku, Paul Ricard, and Austria 1.

The latter is “the most dominant of the year”, according to Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner. Verstappen's advantage in the drivers' championship does not say everything because it is true but up to a certain point: in fact, it could have been higher. The Dutchman could have won in Bahrain and very calmly finished ahead in Baku.

Lewis apparently seems to be extracting maximum performance from what he has. A little. And while it is a merit, at the same time it is worrying because it doesn't seem enough. 

The Red Bull Ring is always an important benchmark. On a track like this, with three DRS zones, if you can keep your competitor out of these, it means you have more. And the RB16B actually had more all weekend. When Hamilton came into the pits for his second stop, which is useful to take the fastest lap and the extra point, his delay was nearly 18 seconds, a gap/space of two and a half tenths per lap. Real.

In just over a month, Red Bull overturned the world championships, with what is to be considered in all respects a decisive 'world' acceleration.

How? Thanks to some aerodynamic updates brought to the track in the last GPs, which also made it possible to fully exploit the potential of the Portimao package, and to the recovery in terms of power, thanks to the PU number 2 introduced in the French GP by Honda.  

But let's take a step back, analyzing how Spielberg's domination came about for a world championship that is to be divided so far into two parts. The first, of continuous growth for the Mercedes team coupled with too many difficulties for Red Bull. The second, after the Spanish GP, with the decisive increase in performance (especially in the race) of the RB16B associated with a W12 instead of more 'development'.

We started in Bahrain with the belief that Red Bull could finally oust Mercedes from the role of the undisputed queen of F1, dictated by dominated pre-season tests. At least partially, so it was, even if the victory of the Grand Prix went to Lewis Hamilton.

However, in Sahkir some critical issues had emerged with the Honda power unit, which we had already talked about. Vibration problems had in fact resulted in the replacement of some electronic components (battery and control unit) on the cars of Perez, Gasly, and Tsunoda as well as requiring a less aggressive use of the hybrid part of the Japanese unit, which caused the RB16B to lose performance.

This, coupled with the small leap forward made by Mercedes with its power unit at Imola, had opened a slight gap in engine performance between the German power unit and Honda. Well compensated in qualifying by better use of the tyres by the Anglo-Austrian car, unlike the W12.

Thanks to a more efficient diffuser, Red Bull are able to use the spoon wing already brought to the track in Baku (V2) at the Paul Ricard.

In Portimao, Red Bull arrives with an important package of updates, which sees the implementation of new flow diverters and adjustments to the bottom and to the diffuser; the desired results are not seen. The same goes for the following weekend, in Barcelona.

The performance of the W12, on the other hand,  continues to grow so much that in the Spanish GP we witness what was to be considered as a real performance overtaking.

The steps of the world champion team went through an intrinsic improvement of the car. An attempt was made to better understand the car and to find that correct balance between the front and rear axles, undermined by the 2021 regulatory innovations and, not least, by the abolition of the DAS which allowed the W11 to quickly have the front wheels up to temperature.

While Red Bull, more in place right from the start, was trying to get performance through updates that were not giving the expected performance improvements on the track.

In Spain, Red Bull Racing enters with a high-downforce rear wing to protect the rear tyres. However, the lack of horsepower of the Honda power unit does not allow him to keep it for qualifying and race. Too much time lost on the forehand against the W12s due to an underperforming PU compared to the Mercedes one and a high-rake set-up that intrinsically increases the aerodynamic resistance of the car.

From the FP3s, the engineers, therefore, decided to use a lighter, spoon-shaped wing on both RB16Bs, however, causing a crisis in the management of temperatures on the rear axle. Mercedes dominates.

Between Monte Carlo and Baku, Red Bull has worked hard on updating its front wing. In the illustration, the specification at the beginning of the year (Old Spec) was compared with the one brought to the track in Azerbaijan (New Spec).

However, in the following GPs, the turning point arrives: two updates to the front wings, brought between Monaco and Baku, coupled with a novelty to the diffuser (only partial in Monaco, complete only in Styria), allow Red Bull to find a lot of 'efficient' downforce at the rear, opening that window of operation and setup that was the real weakness of the RB16B compared to the W12.

The novelties to the diffuser brought to the track by Red Bull between Monte Carlo and the Styrian GP concern the outter profile. First only partially, then along the entire length, having a sawtooth profile, according to the engineers of the Anglo-Austrian team, allows increasing the efficiency of use of the rake set-up.

News used immediately by Max Verstappen while Checo Perez is granted only in subsequent GPs if evaluated positively in terms of costs/benefits since the budget cap issue is anything but simple to manage.

Thus, while Mercedes is forced to use the rears more, adding drag to the W12, Red Bull manages to enter the French GP weekend with a rather minimal spoon wing, finding an optimal 'balance' for minimizing tyre problems on a very complicated track, especially on race day.

Over the weekend were Honda, thanks to the introduction of its second power unit, solved those annoying problems that had limited its performance for 5 Grand Prix.

From the GPS data, the engine performance of the RB16B returned to that of Bahrain, slightly ahead of Mercedes. Ferrari followed, with Renault closing the engine performance ranking to date. All grouped in 25 horsepower, no more, according to what was collected.

The (small) advantage of PU alone does not justify the important advantage in the straights of the RB16B. In between there is also the greater aerodynamic efficiency, which allows Red Bull to be able to use much less 'draggy' rear wings.

Returning to the horsepower increase of Honda power unit 2, according to Red Bull the step forward is to be found in the new oil specification that ExxonMobil has brought to the track: “We have new oil, so I think Exxon should take all the credit for the steps forward Lewis indicated. From the point of view of the engines, they are homologated, and the second unit is the same specification as the first ”.

We remind you that engineers are allowed to make changes to their power units to solve reliability problems.

All this while Mercedes is reaching its 'maximum' understanding of the W12, a car that has now been praised in terms of performance.

Lewis Hamilton understood this too. Hence his important outburst in the post-Styrian Grand Prix: "Red Bull continues to make improvements and it is clear that it has made many in recent races. It is currently impossible for us to keep up with them. Even in the long runs, they are better. They continue to make fast laps one after the other and on the straight, we lose a lot." claimed the seven-time world champion.

The Low Rake set-up used by Mercedes and Aston Martin was penalized the most by the 2021 regulatory changes.

He then continued, getting to the point: "We need updates of some kind, I don't know where, rear wing, engine or any other component, but we certainly have to make up for the ground we have lost".

An appeal to the 'wind' as Mercedes are already fully oriented towards 2022 and no major update is expected in the next Grand Prix, but only minor aerodynamic updates and in terms of exploitation of the power unit.

We await a few more GPs, but the road seems to be drawn. Tyres permitting.

Author: Piergiuseppe Donadoni

Co-author: Giuliano Duchessa

Illustrations: Rosario Giuliana

Original Story Link: https://www.formu1a.uno/analisi-ecco-come-red-bull-ha-ribaltato-i-mondiali/

Oli Bennett "XITEd" to make World RX return in Barcelona

PHOTO CREDIT: Oliver Bennett.

Oliver Bennett will return to the FIA World Rallycross Championship for the upcoming Catalunya curtain-raiser on 23/24 July, as the XITE Racing squad aims to showcase the improvements brought to their MINI Cooper Supercar since they last took to the track.

The 28-year-old's first full World Championship campaign came in 2019, reaching the semi-final stage at Silverstone and in South Africa, while he repeated the feat in his lone appearance last year in Barcelona.

Now, Bennett is looking forward to returning to the cockpit at the same circuit in just under a month’s time, as he prepares to put his upgraded MINI through its paces.

"I’m really excited to be back in Barcelona," Bennett said. "Because of coronavirus, Spain was the only World RX round I competed in last year. Even though I hadn’t been in the car much and it was my first time in the Mini, I still made it to the semi-finals."

Since the last outing for XITE Racing in October last year, his team has updated its Mini SX1. 

"The car’s had some updates and we should be getting more speed from the Mini, so I want to be looking to the semi-finals and beyond. I’ve had more seat time, done more testing, and have a really good feeling with the car," he explains.

Bennett is well aware of the challenges that he faces in the FIA World Rallycross Championship, having competed in 22 events across four seasons with his best result coming in Barcelona last year - 11th place overall. 

"Obviously, this is a world championship, so we know there’s going to be a lot of quality drivers out there. Let’s see who’s coming and what they’ve got. A top-10 would be a decent result, but I’m secretly chasing the top six," he said.

"Oh, yeah. Well, a top-six would be a mega result. The main thing for me is to get back in the car. I can’t wait to be back in the Mini – it feels like I haven’t raced it for a long time now. And I like Barcelona, it’s a cool place. It’s the place I first watched a WRX race. The fans are great, the atmosphere’s really nice and it’s a pretty sick track too."

XITE Racing has confirmed that they are considering an entry in World RX of Germany at the Nürburging on July 31-August 1.

Later this season, the British team will focus their attention on the all-American Nitro Rallycross series, starting with a September season-opener in Salt Lake City. The all-American series is a five-round, coast-to-coast tour that includes action as far west as Glen Helen Raceway in California and The FIRM, Florida in the other direction.

"Nitro Rallycross is really exciting for us," Bennett says. "We’re working very hard with XITE Energy in North America right now and the chance to go out there and take the brand and the car on a tour through some of the coolest tracks in America is something I’m very excited about."

This year’s Nitro campaign is just a precursor to the real deal, as XITE Racing confirms that they are the first team to sign up for next year’s all-electric NRX series.

"The main focus of our NRX effort is looking forward to the FC1-X. The Extreme E Odyssey 21 all-electric racer is a cool thing, but this RX car is just insane," he says. "When the lights go green at NRX next year, we’ll be fired into the future by the electrical equivalent of 1000bhp." 

ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport to field three SEATs in Barcelona.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media.

ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport is set to field a three-car strong entry for next month's curtain-raiser in Catalunya, with two-time DTM champion Timo Scheider returning for a third full season with the German squad. 

Scheider is one of the most versatile drivers in the World RX field, having won the Spa 24 Hours and Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance classics and placed third in class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

The 42-year-old made his World RX debut with ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport in Barcelona in 2015. His maiden podium came in the same event two years later with the MJP Racing Team Austria.

His first full season in the championship in 2019 saw him progress through to the final on three occasions en route to ninth in the drivers' standings. A year later, he improved to eighth overall, adding another podium finish to his tally in the opening round at Höljes.

The German returns to happy hunting ground, as he kicks-starts a third full-season with ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport. 

"It’s so nice to start the season in Barcelona because this event has been a special one for me since 2017 when I achieved my first World RX podium there," Scheider said. "The wait has already been too long – more than half-a-year away from World RX is far too much – but now it’s almost time to go racing again!"

Scheider will be partnered in Münnich’s three-strong stable of SEAT Ibizas for the Catalunya curtain-raiser by team owner Rene Münnich and Mandie August.

Mandie August is the most active female racer in the discipline. Twice a top-three championship finisher at Super1600 level in domestic competition, the German participated in the same class in Euro RX from 2008 to 2015. Behind the wheel of first a Volkswagen Polo and subsequently a Škoda Fabia, she reached the semi-final stage on several occasions and scored points in more than half of the events she entered in her final season.

After clinching the Rallycross Challenge Europe crown in 2016 in an Audi S3, she returned to Euro RX but in the headlining Supercar category under the ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport banner. A full season in 2019 saw her secure a brace of semi-final berths and 12th spot in the points.

The 47-year-old improved upon that to claim 11th in the classification in 2020, progressing through to the semi-final in both rounds of the truncated campaign. She then made her World Championship bow in the double-header season finale in Barcelona, in so doing becoming only the second woman ever to start a World RX event – and she is now set to do battle again at the same circuit next month.

Rytkönen makes World RX return with Betomik Racing.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media

Juha Rytkönen has announced his return to the FIA World Rallycross Championship with the Betomik Racing team. 

Rytkönen's rallycross journey began in 2018, where he immediately marked himself out as one to watch. He contested the autocross class of the Finnish Championship, where he made history by taking maximum points from the season, winning every single race he started to lift the title at the first time of asking.

With all the boxes ticked, the Finn stepped up to the Supercar category a year later behind the wheel of a Ford Fiesta RX. 

Taking into account the adaption period with switching cars, he was quickly on the leader's pace and claimed victory in the final round at Honkajoki was enough to secure his second title in as many seasons.

Last year, Juha continued his progression up the rankings, making the switch to World RX at the Kouvola double-header with GRX-SET behind the wheel of a Hyundai i20 Supercar. 

He impressed from the offset, claiming fourth in the intermediate standings, then going on to win his semi-final, and finish second behind multiple World Champion Johan Kristoffersson – outpacing the likes of Timmy Hansen and Niclas Grönholm in the process. 

Rytkönen was on the pace again the following day, only for a track limits penalty to rule him out - but his results over the course of the weekend were enough to place him 12th in the classification. 

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media

He returned to top-flight rallycross earlier this month when he entered the RallyX Nordic double-header at OuluZone and claimed a double podium finish behind the wheel of the Betomik Racing prepared Ford Fiesta fighting the likes of Niclas Grönholm. 

 

The 29-year-old will be one to watch closely this season, as he prepares for a World RX return with Mikko Ikonen's led squad, having confirmed his return for the Catalunya curtain-raiser and Nürburgring rounds, with further outings to follow later in the campaign.  

"It was a big relief to get everything sorted out, and it is fantastic to be back in the FIA World Rallycross Championship after such a great start last year. The tracks will be new for me so it will be a steep learning curve, but I’m ready to do my job," Rytkönen said.

"I don’t have any major targets, but of course it would be great to make it into as many finals as possible. The most important thing is to get all the kilometres and data out of the races. The results will come if we can drive solid races without big problems."

"We will definitely enter four events in World RX this season," he adds. "The first two in Barcelona and at the Nürburgring are certain, and we will decide the remaining two later on. The aim is to drive even more rounds if we can make it happen..."