Το 2011, η Red Bull Racing και ο Sebastian Vettel σάρωσαν τα πάντα στο πέρασμά τους. Η αυστριακή ομάδα είχε το ταχύτερο μονοθέσιο σχεδόν σε όλα τα Grands Prix, με αποτέλεσμα να υπερασπιστεί με χαρακτηριστική ευκολία τον τίτλο της Πρωταθλήτριας ομάδας. Το ίδιο θέλει να κάνει και το 2012, έτσι παρουσίασε το νέο της όπλο, την RB8, ένα ακόμα μονοθέσιο με το “σκαλοπατάκι” στο ρύγχος του. Με μια πρώτη ματιά το μονοθέσιο δεν είναι πολύ διαφορετικό από την RB7.
Είναι ξεκάθαρο ότι η RB8 είναι μια εξέλιξη της RB7, χωρίς να εντοπίζονται μεγάλες διαφορές, πέρα από το ρύγχος και τις εξατμίσεις. Η εμπρός αεροτομή είναι η τελευταία περσινή έκδοση της RB7. Όμως, εντοπίζεται μια οπή στο “σκαλοπατάκι”. Σύμφωνα με τις φήμες, αυτή η οπή βρισκόταν πέρυσι στο κάτω μέρος, και μέσω αυτής, θα διοχετεύεται αέρας στο cockpit.
Οι εισαγωγές αέρα των ψυγείων είναι γι’ άλλη μια χρονιά τριγωνικές, ωστόσο στο επάνω μέρος, υπάρχουν οπές, κάτι που είδαμε στη McLaren MP4-25 του 2010. Το σκάψιμο είναι έντονο στο κάτω μέρος των ψυγείων. Τα barge boards και τα pod wings έχουν ίδιο σχεδιασμό μ’ αυτά της RB7.
Η πίσω ανάρτηση είναι γεωμετρίας pull-rod (η μπροστά είναι push-rod), ενώ το πίσω μέρος είναι εντυπωσιακά λεπτό, όπως ήταν και της προηγούμενες χρονιές. Φυσικά, σ’ αυτό συμβάλει και το μικρότερο μέγεθος του Renault RS27. Οι εξατμίσεις του εναρμονίζονται στους φετινούς κανονισμούς.
Αναλυτικές δηλώσεις των ανθρώπων της Red Bull Racing μπορείς να βρεις στο Δελτίο Τύπου που ακολουθεί.
Ανανέωση: Προστέθηκαν περισσότερες φωτογραφίες και Full HD videos.
[Πηγή: Red Bull Racing]
[learn_more caption=”Δελτίο Τύπου”]
CHRISTIAN HORNER – TEAM PRINCIPAL
Four world titles in seven seasons is an impressive achievement.
What has been the reason for this?
The main reason for our achievements is teamwork. It’s quite simply the group
of people that are here at Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Technology working as
one unit. That’s obviously taken time to evolve, but we’ve evolved quickly.
We’re still a young team and to consider the four world titles we’ve won in only
seven seasons of competition is something we’re fiercely proud of and
determined to add to.
What are the team’s goals now?
The team’s goals are quite simple. It’s to try and defend both titles in the
manner (in which) we achieved them. Of course, when you’ve achieved what
we have, particularly in 2011, we’ve set a very high standard for ourselves.
But, we’re always looking to improve, we’re always looking, in all areas, to try
and do better. We can’t control what our opponents do, we’re up against some
formidable opponents, but we can only really focus on ourselves and only
when we get to Melbourne will we truly know where we sit against our rivals.
How can Sebastian match his 2011 success?
Sebastian’s season in 2011 was quite remarkable. It was a phenomenal year
for him, with a record amount of poles, 11 GP victories and only one non-finish
– in every other race bar one he was on the podium. So, for him to go better
than that is going to be very, very challenging. But, as a driver, he’s still
evolving and he’s still getting stronger. We saw that in 2011 and I think we’re
only going to see that again in 2012. You forget he’s only 24 years of age
and it’s such a young age to have achieved so much. I think that, as he gains
experience and as he gains knowledge and matures, he’s getting stronger and
stronger.
Do you expect a bigger challenge from rivals this season?
I think on the grid this year we’re going to have six world champions, and
McLaren have a strong team, they’ve got strength and depth and two world
class drivers. Fernando Alonso: everyone knows his capability, and Ferrari also
being a great team. We have Kimi Raikkonen coming back as well; Mercedes
also look like they’re going to be competitive, so I think Formula One is set for
an exciting year and at Red Bull Racing our goals and objectives are to try and
stay ahead of our rivals and build on the success that we have (had) and build
on the lessons that we’ve learned in 2011.
How will Mark bounce back after a tough season last year?
I think the best tonic for Mark was to finish the year strongly – to win that final
race, to go into the season having won the Brazilian GP. I think he’s had a very
strong off-season. He’s recharged his batteries, he’s trained hard and he’s
ADRIAN NEWEY – CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICER
Does recent success add to the pressure to maintain it or lessen it,
as you have continuity?
The last few years have been really good, really successful; it’s been an
incredible journey to get there. It’s the fourth evolution of the RB5 this year, so
obviously the pressure is to try and stay there if we possibly can. It’s a difficult
task, we have lost the exhaust technology with the restriction exhaust outlet
position that we were able to develop and perhaps be ahead of the pack on in
the last couple of years, that led to a big re think over the winter. Whether that
will affect us more than other people is difficult to know of course. We
designed the RB7, last year’s car, around that exhaust position and were
probably the only people to do so, so it may be that we’ve lost more than other
people through that. Only time will tell, it will be good to get out to do some
testing and to see where we get to.
Do you find that frustrating or more of a challenge?
Regulation restrictions like the lost exhaust are a bit frustrating in truth, because
they are exactly that, they are restrictions, they’re not giving new opportunities
or revenues particularly, they’re just closing a door. Regulation changes I
enjoy, regulation restrictions I rather lament.
How have you coped with the removal of the exhaust blown
diffuser for RB8?
RB7 was designed around the exhaust, this year knowing that the exhaust
position from last year would be taken away, we’ve had to go back and look
at how we developed the car through the last one and two years with the side
exit exhaust and try and, if you like, make sure that the routes we had taken
that were only suitable for that exhaust position we now had to re-evaluate.
Probably one of the key things there is the rear ride height. The exhaust
allowed us to run a high rear ride height, it’s much more difficult without that to
sustain a high rear height so we have to go back down and have to redevelop
the car around that lower ride height.
The other major change is the height of the nose. Did that present
difficulties?
The restriction nose height which is a maximum height just in front of the front
bulkhead hasn’t really changed the chassis shape very much. We’ve kept more
or less the same chassis shape, but had to drop the nose just in front of the front
bulkhead, which, in common with many other teams, has led us to I think I’d
probably say a slightly ugly looking nose. We’ve tried to style it as best we
can, but it’s not a feature you would choose to put in were it not for the
regulation.
SEBASTIAN VETTEL – 2010/ 2011 WORLD CHAMPION
Back-to-back titles, the record for pole positions, most laps led, 11 wins last year – what’s your next target?
Oh, we do it again! Obviously, we had a great year, and I think you know we’ll always look back to 2011 and think how special it was, but to be honest, you don’t start the season having, you know, expectations to have the same or similar season again. So we know how special it was and we really enjoyed that but we know how hard it is to be that consistent – always there and nearly every race on the podium – so, you know, the target is to obviously try to do it again and try to get everything out of ourselves, so we’ll see how we get on with the new car, the RB8.
Did you get a chance to enjoy winning another world title?
Yeah, it was obviously, you know, quite busy after the first championship back in 2010, so yeah, in 2011, surely there’s a couple of things you have to do, want to do and you want to give back as well to, you know, people here in the factory, your fans. But after that, around Christmas, it was really time to slow down, back off a little bit and enjoy the peace, have a good rest in order to be prepared for this season. It will be a long and hard season again, but yeah it was really nice to let things sink in and, as I said before, you know, I think it makes you realise how special the season was when you look at the results again and the races itself, and you sum up things a little bit. So, it was a nice eeling and the good thing is, similar to back in 2010, no one can take it away rom you, so it was always stays in your memory.
Are you expecting a bigger, tighter fight this year?
The thing is, at the beginning of last year we didn’t really expect whatever
happened last year, so I think it’s the same thing again. It would be wrong to
go into this season and expect 2011 to happen again, as in getting into the
lead early and having a very big gap to other competitors in the
Championship. So I think it will be very, very tight this year and everything else
would be a surprise to be honest. Looking at the cars, you know there’s not
much room we have left to play (with) for designers and to find something
extra. You know, the last two years we have had two big things taken away,
the double diffusers, plus, for this year, the system around the blown exhaust.
So we are missing that and therefore I think it’s difficult to really create a
difference. We’ll see, obviously we hope our car is better than all the others but
it will be difficult, and I think the cars will be fairly similar, as in the gaps will
be even closer than they have been.
Can you identify any weakness in your game? Are there things
you want to work on?
Of course (in) 2011 we were extremely successful and it was a good season,
so we did only very few mistakes. But still we sat down during the season and
especially after the season and before this season again, trying to identify
where we think we can improve, and yeah we got a couple of points. It’s not
as if it was a blank sheet, so you would be surprised, and I think you know, we
had a couple of pages with things that we can do better, we know we can do
better. Of course, there were a lot of things that we did well and we try to keep
it up and improve them as well but, as I said, there are a lot of things here and
there you know – small things, details, attention to detail – that you can work
on that might make a difference on a Sunday. You know we have 20 races, so
maybe it helps you only in one out of 20 races, but that might help you to score
hat one point more that you might need to be on top at the end, so we’ll see.
What’s it like getting in the new car for the first time?
Obviously, you have a rough idea how the car should look like by what you
see in the early stages from the design office, so yes it’s quite exciting to see
the full car, everything coming together. So it’s quite a long progress,
imagining when we start building the car and to today, where we present it.
And again, the most exciting bit is putting it on track and seeing how it feels,
so that’s yet to be seen. But (the) first time I jumped into the car for the seat fit –
checking the position, checking your pedals, see if everything works – I think it
was the same for Mark and myself, we felt extremely comfortable, everything
went well and we got our position, comfortable position, fairly quickly. So it
didn’t take too long. We had other cars where a little bit here a little bit there,
you know, you always ask for something, but the RB8 was pretty
straightforward, so we hope it continues that way.
What do you think about Mr Ecclestone’s hope that you don’t
dominate again?
I hope he’s wrong obviously! Its difficult to say. You know, every season we start from zero again and unlike other sports… I don’t know if in tennis, for instance, you’re the number one in the world, there is a certain gap between you and the number two, so you have this cushion and it doesn’t matter if its one year or another year, you still have it, whereas for us it all starts from zero again, zero points, everyone has the same chance and we are all building our new cars. So, until we really put them on track to race each other we don’t really know. So, we’ll see, but I’m as confident as I can be at this point and opefully we will have a good couple of days with the car; a good couple of ays testing to prepare the season well.
Have you thought of a name for the car yet?
Not yet, no name yet! To be honest, last year we found a name I think Wednesday before the first race, in that race week, so we might be a bit earlier this year, but so far, no names. We have a couple of candidates, hot candidates, but nothing is decided yet!
MARK WEBBER – SEVEN TIMES GP WINNER
After a period of success, does a car launch come with more or
less pressure on the team?
Yes the success of the team in the last few years has been exceptional, so every
time we launch a new car there is a lot of anticipation and excitement as you
touch on some nerves and expectation. The bar has been set high. We have
cleaned up in the last few years, our Constructors’ Championship last year was
very dominant. Both drivers are performing near the front and the team is being
very reliable, we know that we have to keep working hard. The continuity has
been a key factor in that, all of our Partners have been great for us and there is
no reason in 2012 we can’t be challenging for top results again.
Are you nervous about giving a car its debut on the test track or
is there too much to think about?
I’m very excited about driving the car for the first time, it’s a huge amount of
work that has gone into it as always with a new car. The initial running is really
about getting as much information as we can, learning what the car strengths
are, where some of its weaknesses might be and then we need to work on
those very, very quickly. We don’t have much testing before we get to
Melbourne and before we know it the winter programme will be over. It is a
big responsibility and one that I’m looking forward to.
Last season was tricky for you. What did you take away from
2011?
As you say last year wasn’t an amazing season, but it wasn’t too bad for me. I
still managed to finish third in the Drivers’ Championship, not far off second
with Jenson there, so it was a great way for me to finish the year with the
victory in Brazil and many strong results. We’re always learning as athletes
and I’m looking forward to 2012, its got some great opportunities for me. You
know the old cliché take each race as it comes but that’s how it will be initially
and we’ll go from there.
How much of a boost was the win in Brazil?
The win in Brazil was a great feeling, at this level when you win it’s always
very rewarding with the amount of effort that goes in, but when you have the
feeling again having the national anthem, all those things that remind you of
how unique it is and how important it is to get the most out of yourself and win
those grands prix, it’s very, very special.
What are you hoping for from RB8?
The characteristics of the RB8 we’re looking for is a car that’s very driveable
which means not only from an engine side, Renault are doing a good job
there, but also aerodynamically we need a car that’s functional on all circuits in all temperatures and clearly we need to get the best out of the tyres which was
a huge thing last year for everybody. That’s pretty much done now. Everyone
knows how the tyres behave, that’s old news. We need to move on and
develop the car as best we can without the exhaust affecting the blown diffuser,
which was the very powerful thing that the teams used last year. This year that’s
changed so that’s going to be a key area of trying to understand the losses
we’ve had there.
Will Pirelli’s promise to reduce the performance gap between
options help you?
Yes they changed the tyre a little bit this year, but its pretty much old news, the
tyres have been around for a while now the teams get on top of that stuff
reasonably quickly, and the drivers, I’m talking in the space of a few months to
half a year, which is pretty quick, so the teams know what we’re in for so we’ll
just get stuck into the racing.
Is 2012 as a chance to lay down a few markers after a tough
2011?
I think off the back of last year many sportsmen or women when you don’t get
the most out of a situation you always want to come back and improve and do
a better job. The bar has been lifted very, very high in the last few seasons
and it’s the challenge I’m looking forward to. I’ve had a really good winter
and prepared for the season as best I can so I’m looking forward to the new
season, I just cannot wait to get racing. We can talk a lot about it but we need
to get on the track.
And finally, what have you been up to over the winter away
from Formula One?
I’ve had a great break actually. After Brazil I came back here to Europe and
did some stuff in Austria for Red Bull which was good, we did the show run in
Milton Keynes, then I did the Tasmanian Challenge which was really enjoyable
to see how that went and it was a great race down there and then I could
really switch off actually, do a bit of surfing, also got the motorbikes out so had
a bit of fun with those. It was really good to spend time with quality people I
love being with away from the sport for a while, but I must say that come the
middle of January I always get itchy feet to get back into the car again, so it
was the perfect balance for me to unwind.
SÉBASTIEN BUEMI – TEST AND RESERVE DRIVER
You worked with Red Bull Racing as test and reserve driver in
2008. Is it important you already have a good relationship with
everyone here and know the drivers?
Back in 2008 I was a reserve driver and then I moved to Toro Rosso, so it was
a good three years for me where I was able to do a lot of grands prix. I did 55
and gained a lot of experience. I know Mark and Sebastian pretty well,
Sebastian since karting and Mark obviously since 2008. It’s good to be back
here as a reserve and third driver
You have a lot more experience than when you last had the role.
Do you feel you have more to offer?
If I have changed it’s difficult to say. Obviously I think you train yourself a little
bit, you have more experience, you know better what you need to do to get a
quicker car. You know what you want to do to go quick and what you need. I
think in general it’s much better now than where I was three years ago.
Has the role changed a lot since 2008?
In 2008 we had a bit more testing, so now the testing is a little bit less and
because of this we do a lot more in the simulator, so I would say for me it will
not change much. I will still be driving the car a few times, but obviously the
simulator is going to be the main topic and we are going to push very hard on
it to get the car ready and try to improve it as much as possible.
In between race weekends, will simulator work be your main
focus?
Normally I’ll be racing something else. It’s still not clear what it will be but my
main objective is to do a good job for the team, to be at all the races, try to
improve the car as much as possible and do a good job in the simulator and
then try to help as much as I can.
What are your first impressions of the new car?
First impression of the new car is really good. It looks quite impressive, I can’t
wait honestly to drive the car, let’s see how it feels like but it definitely looks
good.
[/learn_more]