AR3-GP wrote: ↑05 May 2025, 20:48
The longer I think about it,the more I feel that Mclarens pace advantage is mostly because they cool the tires better, and not neccesarily because they have more downforce or more stable downforce (Toto Wolff said this too). The TD isn’t going to change much. They may be slightly more limited with the aero balance (possible slightly more complaints from drivers about balance) but the advantage of cooler tires is worth a lot more. Until Red Bull can replicate it, nothing will change.
Andrea Stella even gives it away when he said the big advantage this year is their “cooling system”. Read between the lines.
All teams need to develop their own solutions because it will also work in 2026.
If auto racer wasn’t lying, and Red Bull aren’t just keeping their cards close, then Red Bull could have their first implementation for one of the coming races.
Red Bull’s communication strategy is all over the shop. Marko says one thing (more parts for Imola), Horner says another (“no upgrades”) and Monaghan says another. Then you have the Red Bull people who said no floor for Miami. At the beginning both Red Bull and Max have spoken about the tire temperature problem so I do believe a first “attempt” even if a hack job will arrive this year. It’s one of the only 2 things they said they are working on this year (balance and tire degradation).
Marko is a bit more up and down this year with the good days and bad days, so I wouldn’t take what he said at full face value.
Anything is possible for Imola. If it was a matter of missing lots of downforce, they would be screwed, but if they can successfully cool the tires more, a lot will change quite suddenly. I am no longer thinking about Spain. It’s the day that they can cool the tires more that will change everything.
That thought, by extension, is the whole of F1 ..... how the tire is "presented" to the track surface is the entirety of the challenge. Heat, load, pace, angle, driver input, consistency, everything is about this and how to facilitate just that one interaction. Those team which understand this better will be competitive.
Remember 2022 at Bahrain, the saga McL had with, front only ? brake ducting "flowing backwards" causing a rushed manufacturing of contingency parts to run effectively (although without much pace at that point) at which point were we seeing the genesis of this approach?
The rears, as pointed out above are relatively small in friction brakes, making absolute heat "mass" less effective. Listening to JP & MV comms during Q the regeneration is maximised in prep laps to Q pace lap, then regeneration OFF for just pure deployment during that Q lap. Rear disc will be more used.
In RB 21 thread there's discussion of current observable installation, which appears already multi layered in build up from caliper and disc cooling separated from flow internal to that carbon shield for heat management.
It firstly doesn't look to be a simple flooded chamber with ducted "pressure" into and excess expelled to inner face at tire rear. Much more labyrinth in it's separated flow strategy and careful exposure of that flow to each of the different material surfaces, which looks primarily aimed at efficiency of heat transfer without letting that escape towards rear rim interior.
McL initial pace of any stint doesn't suggest quick warm up, more that effective shield of heat from brakes is there to avoid saturation from that origin. Which could play out at stint end, and could indicate this to be the case by being relatively conservative in absolute pace for Q but superiority taken as tires come up to peak while not overshooting. In other words, no "switch" present, but with maximum capacity to control peak heat being the result.
What are the rules around "switching" brake cooling on the fly ? Static changes are normal and always have been, but movement during race I'm not so sure. Can anyone add tangible info on this ?
