Ferrari’s aerodynamics chief Enrico Cardlie has revealed that Red Bull “introduced a new technology” in 2023, which may have played a role in the RB19 being so dominant.
Red Bull’s 2023 challenger will go down in Formula 1 history as one of the greatest cars of all-time, with the Milton Keynes-based team having won 21 of the 22 completed races in the most recent campaign.
The 2023 Singapore Grand Prix is the only event neither Max Verstappen or Sergio Perez claimed victory at, as Carlos Sainz was the winner.
It means Ferrari’s consistent driver was the only non-Red Bull victor in 2023, something which is remarkable to say.
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With the exception of the Singapore GP, the RB19 just seemed to perform to a staggering level at every venue, no matter whether it was a high, medium or low-downforce circuit.
Verstappen in particular was magical behind the wheel of his #1 plate RB19, with 19 of the team’s 21 wins having come courtesy of himself.
The Dutchman smashed several records on his way to a third consecutive Drivers’ Championship, leaving many with the feeling that Verstappen could remain unstoppable until the new power unit regulations are introduced in 2026.
In general, no outfit has been able to consistently take the fight to Red Bull since the current aerodynamic regulations were introduced at the start of 2022, as they’ve just understood the regs significantly better.
Red Bull’s biggest strength is that they entered the new regs in 2022 with an exceptional base package and have simply continued to develop it.
One theory Auto Motor und Sport had is that some teams are reduced the size of their brake callipers to try and gain some time back on Red Bull, something Cardile disagreed with.
However, Cardile did admit that Red Bull ran something brand-new in 2023, which is different to what Ferrari and Mercedes have used “for several years”
“I don’t think the other teams have smaller calipers,” Cardile told AMuS. “This is a so-called open-source component. If a team changes something, they have to share the CAD design plans with everyone else. We can see them.
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“Of course, we also study photos. As far as I can tell, the size of the brake calipers is almost the same for all teams.
“Red Bull has introduced a new technology this year that differs from what Mercedes and we have been using for several years. It may be that these new calipers bring a weight advantage. You have to look at that.
“But whether the part is a millimetre bigger or smaller makes no difference. Red Bull is the best example of the fact that there is an all-rounder. You just have to work hard and have the right goals.”