I don't know about legality, but how different would it really be to dyno testing? If teams have dyno's where they can put an exact replica of the engine through the cycle it'd be experiencing over a race weekend, what do you really gain from sticking it in the back of a road car? I don't know whether the dyno's simulate the bumps in the track or the effects of g-force on the engine (if there are any, no idea?), so perhaps you could test that, but you'd need a super rigid suspension in a road car to get close to the effect bumps would have on an F1 car. If Ferrari are allowed to test F1 cars more than a couple of years out of date, and are allowed to test the engine, why haven't they combined the two if they were desperate for a test rig and bodged the new engine into the back of a 2010 Ferrari? Either I'm missing something obvious, or there's no real tangible benefit to the F1 side of the business by putting the engine in a road car. As to what would happen, no idea. Presumably you'd just fine the engine side of Ferrari. If they're supplying the same engine to the race outfit of several teams, it'd be unfair to just penalise the Ferrari F1 team (all Ferrari-powered teams are getting an advantage), but equally it'd be mighty unfair to penalise every team receiving Ferrari engines - they aren't responsible for how Ferrari develop the engine. I really can't see it resulting in any more than a fine and a slap on the wrist, unless it could be specifically proved that the data collected was solely beneficial to the Ferrari F1 team.
Getting back to the original post issue, I do believe Red Bull have been using an unknown and perhaps verging on the illegal advantage, I just cannot believe Vettel is that much better than any other top F1 driver in that he disappears off into the distance and leaves everyone else in his wake, even Webber who I rate as not a top F1 driver was able to on occasion keep up. When we have a team like Red Bull who have serious funding and a smart bloody techie like Newey and a crafty political manager as is Horner anything is possible. I just don't see Vettel alone being the key to Red Bulls dominance, no offense meant or implied, sorry but there must be a tangiable technical advantage. I
there wasn't until the tyre change which was forced upon F1 due to Silverstone. The car was the class of the field after, and Webber has never been a match for Vettel, not when Vettel was pretty much a Rookie and Webber at the top of his game back in 2010 and since then Vettel has got better and more consistent and Webber older and even more erratic, especially at he start.
It was the tyre change that fell into Vettel's and RBR's hands. It was like all the planets in the solar system aligning just perfectly to give some spectacular cosmic event. Up to then, Webber had been running Vettel closer than he had in previous seasons, after the tyre change he was nowhere near.
That is as maybe Miggins, but on this me old mate, I just don't buy it !!!, all will be revealed in time, maybe.
Don't forget the spanner in the works from red bull on Webber's car.... Clutch, multi 21, more clutch, get him out of the way, turn down your engine, pit stops muck ups and more we all part of Webber's 2013 season.
15 years from now, in Newey's memoirs, it will be revealed that what truly gave the Red Bulls "wings", was in fact Tiger's blood and a sacrificial virgin (the virgin being Branson, who'd have clearly dominated F1, if not for being distracted by pre-paid telephone, low oribit space travel and the Sega Megadrive).
http://www.gptoday.com/full_story/v..._not_afraid_of_Alonso_or_Raikkonen_challenge/ F1 2014 – Vettel not afraid of Alonso or Raikkonen challenge Formula One News » F1 2014 – Vettel not afraid of Alonso or Raikkonen challenge Posted on 20/01/2014 Sebastian Vettel has revealed he hopes to go up against Alonso or Raikkonen one day and insists he is not afraid of the challenge. Vettel told Sport Bild magazine “Maybe someday I will be on the same team with Kimi [Raikkonen] or Fernando [Alonso]. You always want to beat the strongest opponents, so I am not afraid.” Mr Vettel...don't just talk it. Prove it! That I would love to see. I wonder why you were not too happy when there were talks about Lewis Hamilton courting Red Bull?
why have a drivers academy and not use the fruits of it? The whole point of STR was to bring drivers forwards within the team, next year their driver line-up will be 2 drivers from that academy, and the last driver they promoted has torn the arse out of the competition for 4 years in a row, why would they hire a whiney prima donna or a lucky and rude has been instead? As for RBR cheating, RBR must have the most scrutineered car in racing history by now, and as for spanner in the works, I think you'll find that Vettel has lost more points than Webber due to mechanical issues whilst at RB, but don't let that stop your incessant crying Dhel.
I completely understand RB's decision, but I hope you're not suggesting Ricciardo is better than Kimi and Alonso?
Kimi and Alonso have peaked though. We know what they can do, they aren't going to improve much, and they'd look to be top dog in the team. Vettel already does that role, so why risk upsetting him? Ricciardo on the other hand comes in being a good (not great) driver, who will improve as he becomes more experienced. He might not reach the heights that Vettel has, but whilst Vettel is in the other Red Bull that isn't an issue. Ricciardo plays the Webber role of picking up solid points, but it's less likely that he'll ever have to be told to do that. I guess Red Bull have to hope that if Vettel moves that Ricciardo, or either TR driver look ready to take over, but the signal it sends to the young driver community in the meantime is equally important. The top class youngsters can look at Red Bull and see that both are graduates of the Red Bull Young Driver program, whilst Ferrari haven't given any of their young drivers a chance, and neither have Mercedes. If you're in the position of having multiple offers, it almost makes Red Bull a no brainer, and that helps sustain the pipeline for the future.
Back to the same pointless round about system of drivers not being afraid of each other but never truly backing the words up when push comes to shove? Alonso and Lewis both got sensitive when Vettel was tipped to join them at Ferrari or Mercedes. F1 drivers are just the racing version of a boxer, just better talkers than fighters.
Kimi was a red bull backed driver once...I agree with Silver, The drivers talk the talk but lets see them Walk. The Ferrari battle is going to be interesting this year.
Given the number of engineers Red Bull are losing to other teams I'm sure their secret, if any, will come out or end up on other cars.
