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Red Bull Racing

Red Bull working to copy McLaren trick to solve major issue

Red Bull is exploring ways to copy a key McLaren design, RacingNews365 understands.

Red Bull is exploring ways to copy McLaren's clever rear-brake design in a bid to get tyre temperatures under control, RacingNews365 understands.

The heat of the Miami Grand Prix allowed the MCL39 of McLaren to show off one of its strongest characteristics in keeping its rear tyre temperatures under control, which allowed Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris to drop Max Verstappen once they had finally passed him. 

Red Bull is developing an upgrade package and will continue to roll it out across the coming races in a bid to catch the runaway McLaren, with a particular emphasis on the rear-brake design. 

McLaren's system has been investigated by the FIA, but it has passed all checks and has been deemed fully legal, with multiple rival teams, including Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes, exploring their own versions of the design. 

As RacingNews365's technical analyst Paolo Filisetti wrote previously, McLaren is using the air-flow in a manner to help cool the brakes rival teams have not cottoned onto yet, especially given the air is the only thing which can cool the brakes, given liquid-cooling is banned.

When asked about the situation, Red Bull's chief engineer Paul Monaghan, felt there was not a "Harry Potter" solution to the problem. 

"If you slide around and drift, your rear tyres are probably going to get a bit too warm," Monaghan told media, including RacingNews365. 

"But we've made some steps, you won't see it, but it is incremental, but it is not Harry Potter time. 

"It is not 'wave the magic wand' and all of a sudden we're away and gone, it is diligent engineering, thorough engineering with clever people, and we will chip away at it. 

"We are free to do what we want, when we can. We've got a headcount, we've got a budget, and all of those things came into limit us, but the aim is to build the best car we can and continue to improve it.

"That's what everybody will do, the question is, can we do it quickly enough to haul ourselves back up to overtake anybody ahead of us."

Also interesting:

Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes and Nick Golding in a special episode of the podcast, as they are joined by former F1 team principal and friend of the channel Otmar Szafnauer to look ahead to Imola! Max Verstappen, McLaren and Ferrari are just a few of the talking points.

Rather watch? Then click here!

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