Red Bull demands an increase in the minimum weight of the cars as their RB18 weighs over the given limit following the changes.
Already the new cars weigh 795 kgs making it the heaviest F1 car ever. In the 2022 season, the weight has been increased by a massive 43 kgs from the previous season. Not just Red Bull, almost all the teams are struggling with the weight limit problem.
However, the word around the paddock is that Red Bull is suffering relatively more than others. One of the significant parts of the weight increase is the switch from 13-to 18-inch tyres. Another reason is the significantly increased safety on the chassis.
Red Bull is overweight with more to add up
Following the technical regulations that have been introduced for the 2022 season, the cars have been designed in a way that is not just safe but large as well.
The bigger wheels need bigger brakes which in turn needs larger brake ventilation. The wishbones(an element in the suspension attached to the wheel and the chassis) needed to be concealed. In the past, the structural parts themselves created the aero surface and there was no need to deliberately conceal it.
All these little things add up to make the Red Bull weigh more than required. Team advisor Helmut Marko said, “The only problem we have is weight, but all teams have that. Thank God the minimum weight has already been raised, but there is still a lot of work to do before the first race.”
Therefore, the Milton-Keynes team is now demanding an increase. Marko revealed that the probability to reject the request is low as most of the teams have the same problem.
However, word has gotten around in the paddock that the bulls have the biggest problems with the weight. Given that, some teams who themselves are a little above the limit do not want to agree to the increase to keep the competitive advantage.
Also Read: Max Verstappen shares his thoughts on the RB18 and Red Bull’s aim for the 2022 season
The budget cap adds weight to the car
Even though some teams might not agree, Red Bull is not alone. Other big teams have the same problem as well. As Marko said, “all but one team are struggling with the weight problem.”
Furthermore, the budget cap also stands in the way of reducing weight. Lightweight construction is expensive. It costs a lot to save a few kilos on the car.
For years, the big teams never faced a problem with spending money on the expensive extraordinary components of the car, unlike the small teams. With budget cap into play, the luxury is gone.
It was for these purposes only that the cap was introduced in the first place. Now, the teams have to decide whether they want to spend their money on lightweight construction or other developments that might come.
