Red Bull ‘using trick’ that can’t be defended as Verstappen eyes title

Red Bull have found a clever way to maximise their straight-line speed by using an old trick to give Max Verstappen the best chance of wrapping up this year’s Drivers’ Championship title at the Japanese Grand Prix, according to reports. The Dutchman can seal his second end-of-season triumph in as many years on Sunday if he wins and takes the fastest lap after dominating proceedings for the vast majority of the campaign to date.

Verstappen had an opportunity to clinch the title in Singapore last time around but could only manage an eighth-placed finish after a topsy-turvy race, although he was the quickest driver on track at all four top-speed measuring points by some distance. His impressive straight-line speed has been aided by Red Bull’s ability to lower their RB18 car on faster sections of track by using an old trick, according to Auto Motor und Sport.

It is said that Red Bull are using a collapsible rear suspension in order to reduce drag on the straights, which allows for greater top speed as a result of the car’s enhanced aerodynamic profile. The Austrian team’s unrivalled pace has been catching the eye of their rivals over the last few weeks, with Sebastian Vettel having insisted that it is nigh-on impossible to compete with them as a result of their clever innovation.

“You can’t defend yourself against the Red Bull, he [Verstappen] drops the rear and flies past you,” said Vettel. Charles Leclerc also offered his thoughts on Red Bull’s superior top speed, adding: “This has nothing to do with aerodynamics, there is something mechanical behind it.”

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Meanwhile, a Mercedes engineer is quoted as saying: “The Red Bull has the highest ground clearance at the rear when stationary and the lowest at high-speed. Making something like this with a conventional chassis costs space and weight, we didn’t have one thing, nor could we afford the other.”

The suspension trick reportedly being used by Red Bull is nothing new in F1, although it is harder to implement now than in previous years as a result of hydraulic suspensions being banned. It also adds weight to the car, which could offer an explanation as to one of the areas that Red Bull have struggled with in 2022, particularly towards the beginning of the campaign.

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It seems as though Red Bull’s clever approach is not in danger of being stamped out or protested against by other teams, with Sky Sports F1 reporter Ted Kravitz having explained that it is completely within the rules and that nothing strange is at play.

“The car has a sort of collapsing rear suspension,” said Kravitz. “It’s able to run quite a high rear rake, so high that you can actually put your foot under the car there but then at some point the car’s suspension [lowers].

“A lot of teams have this, it’s not anything strange or a trick. The car collapses and then actually is able to stall out the fall and then get a straight-line speed boost towards the end.”

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