Ex-F1 driver Christian Danner reveals the key to halting Red Bull’s dominance
Red Bull has been far ahead of the field this season, and is on course to establish their second era of dominance
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Red Bull, via the Times of India
Former driver Christian Danner believes that the only way to halt Red Bull’s dominance in the coming years is by persuading the FIA to introduce technical directives to hinder them, allowing the rest of the field to catch up. Red Bull has shown the superior speed to their competitors in the first three races of the season, sparking fears of a first-ever clean sweep among fans and the paddock alike.
Speaking to Motorsport-Magazin.com, Danner said, “We have seen often enough how superior cars were blackened with a technical directive. Let’s wait and see what happens there. As I know the Toto Wolff, he has his own department that only looks at what you can find somewhere, firstly to copy it himself and secondly, to put stones in the way of the opponent. I’m pretty sure of that.”
He also praised the Austrian team for their strong development of the RB19, accrediting how they manufactured it fantastically. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have won all three races of the season and the dominant pace they have proves they are unstoppable. Danner also encouraged Ferrari and Mercedes to work harder to match this benchmark set by the team from Milton-Keynes, stating that “It is not enough with a little aero updates.”
Red Bull’s dominance may be inevitable without intervention from the FIA
Red Bull is currently on course to repeat the feats it managed between 2010 and 2013. They are miles ahead of their competitors, with the title looking a certainty, despite only having completed three races. They have won all three races and secured 1-2s in two of them. The Bulls have scored 123 points, 58 in excess of their rivals Aston Martin in second.
However, seemingly uncatchable speed like the one they display doesn’t come without suspicion. In the past, we have seen several teams fall from grace after an investigation launched into their development, the most recent being Ferrari. The technical directives introduced have hindered them for the years that followed and set them back majorly. This could be a similar case with Red Bull, who have even been accused of sandbagging to avoid attention from the FIA should they reveal the true extent of their speed.
In 2019, Ferrari reached a settlement with the FIA regarding alleged engine rule violations during the 2019 Formula One season. The settlement followed an investigation by the FIA into the team’s engine after rival teams expressed concerns about its legality. Ferrari had been accused of using a system to circumvent the FIA’s fuel flow regulations. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but the FIA released a statement saying that they had reached a confidential agreement with Ferrari to resolve the matter. The settlement was controversial, with some rival teams expressing dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency surrounding the investigation and the settlement agreement.
With the RB19’s unstoppable pace, it seems likely that other team principals are bound to grow skeptical and demand investigations from the governing body. Should this result in introducing a new technical directive, or even another private settlement, this seems the most likely way to knock the Austrian team down a peg and equalize with the rest of the grid. With Toto Wolff being one of Red Bull’s harshest critics and fiercest rival, Danner’s claims that Wolff will make any attempt to hinder Red Bull could prove true in the coming future, should their attempts to match Red Bull on track prove fruitless.
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Justin P Joy
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