Tag: Red Bull F1 benchmark

Red Bull Sets the Benchmark in F1, Says Mercedes Boss Wolff As Formula 1 pre-season testing kicks off in Bahrain, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has declared Red Bull as the team to beat this season. Lando Norris ended the first day of testing as the fastest driver, finishing 0.129 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Despite this, Wolff believes Red Bull’s new engine gives them a clear advantage over rivals. Red Bull’s Engine Advantage Mercedes’ data shows Red Bull can deploy significantly more energy on the straights than other teams. Wolff explained that the team maintained a consistent advantage over 10 consecutive laps. “On a single lap, we’ve seen it before, but now they’re doing it over multiple laps,” Wolff said. “As of today, they have set the benchmark.” This season features the biggest rules overhaul in F1 history. Cars have new power units, chassis, tyres, and fuel. The 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrid engines split power almost equally between internal combustion and electrical energy. Energy recovery and deployment are now key to performance. How Hybrid Engines Work The hybrid engines recover energy in four ways: braking, revving in corners, lifting off early, and harvesting while at full throttle. Teams must carefully manage energy deployment, as even small gains can determine competitiveness. Testing Times and Driver Performances Headline lap times during testing are often misleading because teams run cars in different specifications. Norris set his fastest lap on C2 tyres, while Verstappen used softer C3 tyres. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was third fastest, 0.521 seconds behind Norris, followed by Haas driver Esteban Ocon. Unlike most teams, Red Bull had Verstappen drive all day. Aston Martin also limited driving to Lance Stroll, marking the start of their Honda engine partnership and debuting a new car designed by Adrian Newey.
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Red Bull Sets the Benchmark in F1, Says Mercedes Boss Wolff

As Formula 1 pre-season testing kicks off in Bahrain, Mercedes team principal…

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