Red Bull to Continue Experiments with ‘Franken-Floor’ at Monza, Aims to Resolve Balance Issues
Red Bull’s Ongoing Investigations
As the 2022 Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix approaches, Red Bull Racing plans to continue its investigation into the RB20’s loss of competitiveness by experimenting with a hybrid floor design. The team is determined to understand why its car has fallen behind closest rivals McLaren and Mercedes in recent races.
During the Dutch Grand Prix, Max Verstappen’s car was outfitted with an alternative floor version, based on the pre-Imola design that secured four wins in the first five races of the season. This “Franken-floor” design incorporates elements of improvements introduced since then, which the team knows to be effective.
“I mean we know the balance problems, and now it’s up to us to try and make the cars just better to drive and more competitive,” – Max Verstappen
Assessing the Hybrid Floor Design
However, mixed weather conditions at Zandvoort made it challenging to gauge the performance of this hybrid design relative to the newer version used by Sergio Perez. Red Bull aims to split the configurations at Monza to gain a better understanding of whether the new floor is the root cause of the RB20’s balance issues.
Verstappen also dismissed the notion that reverting to the older specification would necessarily lead to improved performances, citing the need for continuous improvement to stay competitive.
“I don’t think it will be faster, just that other teams, of course, they have been upgrading the car really well,” – Max Verstappen
Addressing Balance Issues and Team Changes
The Dutch driver is optimistic about the team’s efforts to address the balance issues, stating, “I think we are understanding where we need to find stuff and what we see in the wind tunnel, what we see from CFD. That is not the problem.”
When asked if Adrian Newey’s impending departure from the team was linked to the performance struggles, Verstappen downplayed the connection, saying, “Normally not. It’s just since it was announced that he was leaving, it’s been more difficult.”
As Red Bull continues to search for answers, the team’s Formula 1 standings will be crucial in the remaining races of the season. With the Italian Grand Prix just around the corner, fans of Formula 1 news will be closely following the developments and eagerly awaiting the outcome of Red Bull’s experiments.
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