After Friday practice in Valencia, it was still not clear whether Red Bull will use its improved F-duct system for qualifying and the race.

The team used an initial version of the downforce-stalling concept in practice in Turkey, but then decided to leave Adrian Newey in the factory to develop it rather than take the famous Briton to Canada.

The RB6 was fitted with a developed F-duct on Friday in Valencia, where Sebastian Vettel came within mere thousandths of beating Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso to top spot.

“When the system is working, it is a big help,” German Vettel is quoted as saying after practice by the German news agency SID.

As for how it worked on Friday, he added: “In the morning it was still not so good, but in the afternoon better.”

In a post-session statement, the 22-year-old added: “We need to see if we keep the F-duct in the car, we need to confirm that, but all in all I think the pace was promising today considering this shouldn’t be our strongest track.”

(GMM)

Jun.18 (GMM)  Red Bull is bidding to return to dominance on the streets of Valencia next weekend by using an F-duct system.

With Red Bull earlier looking set to walk the 2010 title, McLaren crept onto the pace in Turkey and then leapt to the top of the championships with one-two victory in Canada last weekend.

Red Bull used its initial version of McLaren’s downforce-stalling F-duct concept in practice for the Turkish grand prix, but then decided to develop it further rather than take it to Canada.

Valencia, like the long straights and slow corners of Montreal, is another circuit that is expected to play into the hands of McLaren and the British team’s original F-duct.

Vettel was the highest placed Red Bull in Canada with just fourth place, but on Friday he said the North American round is now in the past so that the team can “fully concentrate” on Valencia.

“There, with the F-duct system we are getting an important part on the car,” he told Germany’s Auto Bild Motorsport.

“Our technical chief Adrian Newey did not come to Canada in order to put the finishing touches on the new system at the factory,” added the 22-year-old German.

Red Bull might not test its new F-duct system on the long straights of Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve next Friday.

The team took its initial version of the downforce-stalling concept off the RB6 after Friday practice in Turkey, after Sebastian Vettel reported that it had not functioned perfectly.

“We need to work on getting the right effect,” said the German.

It had been expected that the team would test the innovation again during Friday practice in Canada, where the straightline speed boost will be a big advantage on the fast layout.

But on Austrian television ‘Sport und Talk aus dem Hangar 7′ on Tuesday, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko indicated that the F-duct will not be used in Montreal next week.

“It did not work perfectly,” he confirmed on Tuesday, referring to the Istanbul Park test.

“Therefore, we are developing it further.  We will bring it again to Valencia,” he added.

(GMM)

Mar.24 (GMM-YF1) According to rumours from the Melbourne pitlane on Wednesday, Sauber is ready to test an initial version of the controversial McLaren-style knee-activated air inlet system.

The innovation, where air is allowed to pass through the car and onto the rear wing by the movement of the drivers’ knee, was declared legal on McLaren’s MP4-25 in Bahrain two weeks ago.

Basically, the system works by ’stalling’ the efficiency of the downforce-producing rear wing, thereby producing more straight-line speed when the car is not cornering.

McLaren had spent some time pioneering the system, so it is a surprise that Sauber has so quickly readied a version for its Ferrari-powered C29.

It is believed the Swiss team has not decided whether to actually run the system in Melbourne this weekend.

Asked by Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, technical boss Willy Rampf said: “Ask me (about it) on Friday.”

It is likely Mercedes will be among the next F1 teams to also introduce the inlet system.

“We had an idea that they (McLaren) were doing it — we didn’t understand how they were doing it,” said team boss Ross Brawn. “But now we do.”