Martin Brundle has claimed that Red Bull will keep its secret weapon despite its cost cap penalty. The team was hit with a 10 per cent reduction in wind tunnel testing and CFD development for next season after being found guilty of rule-breaking.
However, Brundle has assessed that Red Bull technical director Adrian Newey “can see air molecules”, so he may not be affected by the lack of a wind tunnel allocation. The Sky Sports F1 pundit has predicted that the team will not drop below the top six despite their punishment.
Brundle said: “I think Red Bull will be very competitive next year. They are starting with a good product, a really good car. Obviously, they’re going to have to make sure that when they go into the wind tunnel and use the CFD, it’s all high-quality material.
“They have Adrian Newey, he can see air molecules as far as I can tell. Obviously they also lose a lot of time in the wind tunnel because they are world champions.
READ MORE: Christian Horner says six teams could break cost cap in 2022
“I don’t expect them to drop out of the top six, so to speak.” Red Bull received the penalty after breaching the limit for a whopping £1.8 million ($2.2 million).
The FIA admitted the team’s infraction would only be £432,000 ($0.5m) if Red Bull filed its tax reports accurately. However, Red Bull boss Christian Horner described the punishment as a “draconian” measure at a news conference yesterday afternoon.
He also stated that the loss of time in the wind tunnel would have a huge impact on the team’s performance next season with a potential loss of around half a second per lap. Horner said: “The most draconian part is the sporting penalty, which is a 10 per cent reduction in our ability to use our wind tunnel and aero tools.
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“I heard people report today that that’s a paltry amount, but let me tell you, it’s a huge amount. That represents anywhere between 0.25 and 0.5 seconds of lap time. That comes from now, has a direct effect on next year’s car and will be in place for a period of 12 months.
“By winning the Constructors’ Championship we have become victims of our own success by having, on top of that 10 per cent, an incremental 5 per cent handicap or handicap compared to second and third place.
“So that 10 percent put into practice will have an impact on our ability to perform on the track next year.”
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