Secret of Red Bull’s qualifying speed revealed?

A secret of Red Bull’s superior pace in the decisive Q3 phase of qualifying may have been revealed.

Autosprint’s auto.it website reports that the team has a special electronic setting for the Renault engine that maintains a constant exhaust gas pressure.

When the setting is selected, the stream of gases flow constantly from the exhaust through the double diffuser, even when the driver of the RB6 is not pressing the throttle.

This would increase downforce at slow speeds.

The setting, revealed initially on the blog of the British journalist James Allen, is reportedly used sparingly – for example only in Q3 – because it is damaging to the engine.

The RB6 has been on pole position at 8 of the 9 grands prix so far this season.

© 2010, www.fantasyracings.com. All rights reserved. The total or partial reproduction of text, photographs or illustrations is not permitted in any form. Copyright by F1 Teams Media Departaments, (GMM) and (CIAM)

0 commentsback to post

Other articlesgo to homepage

	‘Step noses’ still the hot topic at Jerez(0) Amid the European cold snap, Franz Tost admits he was worried Toro Rosso might be late for its own car launch. The STR7 was unveiled on Monday in the Jerez pitlane, a day ahead of its testing debut. “When the trucks left Faenza on Saturday night I was worried we would not arrive in time,”

	Alguersuari ready for F1 comeback ‘opportunity’(0) Jaime Alguersuari has admitted he was “hurt” by Red Bull’s late decision to oust him from Toro Rosso. The 21-year-old announced this week that, amid speculation he might rescue his career with the reserve role at Mercedes, he will in fact be missing entirely from the F1 paddock in 2012. In a Spanish-language statement, he

	Sauber’s Key headed for Le Mans with Lotus(0) Sauber’s departing technical boss James Key appears headed for Lotus. On the eve of its 2012 car launch, the Swiss team announced that it will not replace the departing Briton Key, who has accepted an offer to work in the UK. Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport said it is rumoured Key is headed for Lotus.

	Raikkonen to reunite with McLaren engineer(0) Kimi Raikkonen will have a familiar race engineer for his return to formula one this year. Finnish reports in Turun Sanomat and the broadcaster MTV3 claim the 2007 world champion will work with Mark Slade. Slade, recently at Mercedes GP working alongside Michael Schumacher, was Finn Raikkonen’s race engineer at McLaren years ago. Turun Sanomat

	Van der Garde ‘surprised’ by Jerez test day(0) Giedo van der Garde has admitted to surprise at his inclusion in Caterham’s test plans this week. Originally, the former Lotus team scheduled the four days of the Jerez session to be split evenly between Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli. Italian veteran Trulli, however, has been shunted from Thursday’s schedule in favour of van der