Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has openly admitted that his side must “find out” how Red Bull are so fast when their DRS is in operation, with the Frenchman recognising that until the Austrians’ secret is discovered, they are essentially unbeatable.
Sergio Perez claimed victory on Sunday at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix ahead of reigning World Champion Max Verstappen, with Red Bull having secured their third 1-2 this season.
It was another comfortable 1-2 for the Austrians, with both Perez and Verstappen having overtaken polesitter Charles Leclerc with ease.
Perez and Verstappen both overtook Leclerc down the 2.2km main straight with a helping hand of DRS, something which made defending impossible for the Monegasque driver.
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The Ferrari star ultimately had to settle for third, with Red Bull’s straight-line advantage simply being too much.
The RB19 was terrifyingly fast in a straight-line once again at the Baku City Circuit, with many continuing to wonder how they’re achieving the speeds that they are.
Even Red Bull’s sister side AlphaTauri couldn’t boast similar speeds, despite the fact they’re using the same power unit as the Milton Keynes-based team.
Until Red Bull’s secret is discovered there is seemingly nothing stopping them from winning every race this season, with Vasseur noting that they have a “clear competitive advantage”.
“We have to find out because this is a clear competitive advantage,” Vasseur said.
Red Bull have been the fastest in a straight-line ever since pre-season, despite the belief that Ferrari actually have the most powerful power unit.
So just how are the Austrians so quick when DRS is in use?
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Well, German outlet Auto Motor und Sport have a theory as to how the RB19 is so fast.
“One theory is that when the flap is open on the RB19, the flow structures in the rear change in such a way that a stall occurs on the diffuser and on the beam wing under the rear wing at the same time. That would further reduce drag,” AMuS write.
With the Miami International Autodrome also featuring two high-speed DRS zones, the likelihood is that Verstappen and Perez will be unstoppable again this weekend.