Bojan Vrbnjak
Yesterday after the second free practice GP of Austria, Yippee Red Bull formally filed a protest against Mercedes DAS system, If 19.10:XNUMX p.m. all participants had to be heard, and half an hour after midnight the commissioners decided: Mercedes' system is legal, Red Bullov protest is rejected on all counts.
With protest Red Bull Racing has been for months (due to late start of the season) smoldering conflict reached its temporary peak. Ever since Mercedes on testing in Barcelona first used this 'Dual Axis Steering'system, competitors doubt the legality of this two-dimensional rudder. Otherwise they are engineers Mercedesa emphasized from the outset that prior to the development of this system, FIA inquire about legality, but competition - above all Red Bull - interprets this Mercedes technique differently.
Red Bull doubts the legality of the system THE which in two points technical regulations. On the one hand, that invention is contrary to Article 3.8which prohibits moving aerodynamic parts, on the other hand THE violated Article 10.2.3which says no component suspension must not shift when the car is moving. He was even present at the detailed hearing, which took place in part via video conference Adrian Newey, who is together with the team manager Jonathan Wheatley and engineers Paul Monaghan tried to clarify the position Red Bull Racing.
On page Mercedesa they defended the technical chief James allison, engineer John Owen in Andrew Shovlin and team manager Ron Meadows. The commissioners of the race were assisted by a technical expert FIA's Nicolas Tombazis. Two factors were relevant to the decision of the Commissioners. THE it has not been classified as an aerodynamic device, although the position of the front wheels has an aerodynamic effect because the steering is an exception. “Otherwise, all racing cars would be illegal,”The commissioners wrote with the chairman Gerd Ennser, who also explains with his colleagues: If THE would not fall into this exception, it would be illegal. Thus, one count of the charge is related to another. For, after all, it is a question of whether THE adds k rudder ali hang.
In the end, the Commissioners v several points explain why it is THE part of the handlebars and give detailed reasons why it is not part of the suspension. This was a turning point against the protest Red Bull Racing. Commissioners are immediately after the rejection of the complaint Red Bull Racing take away the wind from the sails of any further protest. Because in addition to the two mentioned articles of the technical regulations, it could THE also violated the rule A piece of farm sports rules. However, the four rulers see the rudder as a clear exception to the Parc ferme rule, which in fact does not allow any changes in the settings of the car.
