One of the main characteristics of the dominant Red Bull RB19 is the DRS advantage that has often made Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez unstoppable on the straights in the first half of the 2023 Formula 1 campaign. It has been instrumental in producing some impressive qualifying performances and enabling both drivers to overtake opponents in the race without much difficulty.
While at the beginning of the year, the extent of Red Bull’s DRS gain had led to thoughts of a deceptive system to boost speed, rivals quickly grasped the dynamics at play.
There was speculation about a system operating in a gray area of the regulations, but the reality is that the system has to do with how Red Bull balances the levels of aerodynamic resistance at the rear of the car.
Red Bull has deliberately chosen to have a greater ratio of aerodynamic resistance coming from the rear wing compared to the conventional one, so that when the main wing opens, there’s a larger speed jump. But rivals can’t just copy this approach, as their cars don’t produce the necessary performance from the diffuser that allows them to reduce the rear wing, which generates high downforce and high aerodynamic resistance and is a valuable tool for improving rear-end stability.
McLaren has started to tweak this area more, and at the Belgian Grand Prix, they introduced a more efficient bundle wing hoping to shift the ratio of aerodynamic resistance to the rear and start unlocking some DRS gains.
However, Team Principal Andrea Stella clarified that it will be a long-term process to develop the rear of the car as Red Bull has done over the last two seasons.
“It seems like they have pursued this concept for quite a bit of time,” Stella explained when asked by Motorsport.com if the wing approach was key to the DRS gain. So, I believe they are benefiting from the experience they gained in developing this kind of configuration. I think this has become apparent over time. I think all teams are trying to understand what is possible to exploit by developing this kind of configuration.” – the former Ferrari man explained.
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Aston Martin, which suffered a notable DRS deficit to Red Bull in the early races when it was their closest rival, has stated that they are also working in this direction to seek improvements.
Performance Director Tom McCullough said, “I think the updates we’ve brought [in Belgium] were actually largely in this direction.”
“It’s the interaction of the whole rear of the car. If you look at the back of the car, everything works together, whether it’s the rear brakes, the diffuser, the bundle, and the rear wing. They all suck from the rear of the car, and obviously, it’s the relationship between these two elements that matters. Of course, you want stable aerodynamics, but you also want a big change when the DRS opens. It also depends on the level of the rear wing and many other factors. This has certainly been an aspect where we saw Red Bull was top of the game early last year, strong in this area, and I think everyone has tried to catch up to some extent.” – he concluded.
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