Fast Five: McLaren ‘unleashes the troops’ on Red Bull's floor, F1 chiefs push for lighter cars, and other big updates

McLaren ‘unleashes the troops’ on Red Bull's floor

Sergio Perez's disabled Formula 1 car was lifted by a crane in Monaco, exposing detailed images of Red Bull's advanced floor design. The photos intrigued competitors but merely copying the design without understanding its principles would be useless. McLaren intends to analyze the images with its resources, while Ferrari noted that copying a single component is ineffective without grasping the overall concept. Teams must find their own efficient development methods.

Click here to read the full article by Bryn Lennon (autoweek.com).

F1 chiefs push for lighter cars

Formula 1 chiefs are concerned about the increasing weight of grand prix cars and are pushing for them to be made lighter in the next rules era. Currently, the minimum weight of the cars is 798 kilograms (1,760 pounts), which is more than 200kg (440lb) heavier than in 2008. The introduction of hybrid engines, safety systems, and aerodynamic changes have contributed to this weight increase. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali both agree that reducing the weight of the cars is necessary. Drivers have also expressed their concerns about heavy cars affecting safety and efforts to address this issue will be part of the discussions for the 2026 rules cycle in Formula 1.

Click here to read the full article by Jonathan Noble (motorsport.com)

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Why Ferrari is 'not copying anyone'

Ferrari denies simply copying Red Bull's successful aero concept for its own Formula 1 car. However, it acknowledges the practice of teams borrowing design elements and technical concepts from each other to improve performance. Ferrari's senior engineer, Jock Clear, explains that they learn from other teams' ideas, analyze them in their own wind tunnel, and incorporate what works for their car. Ferrari's recent update package in Barcelona was inspired by Red Bull's concept, but it required months of development to make it effective. While Ferrari's car still trailed behind Red Bull on the track, the upgrade showed positive signs at a demanding circuit like Barcelona. Clear emphasizes the importance of a disciplined approach, ensuring the concepts work on their own car before implementing them while citing Carlos Sainz's strong qualifying result as validation of Ferrari's progress.

Click here to read the full article by Michael Delaney (f1i.com)

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Schumacher and de Vries dispute validates Wolff

AlphaTauri chief Franz Tost revealed that his attempt to sign Mick Schumacher was rejected by the team's Red Bull owners. Schumacher was in contention to replace Pierre Gasly but lost the seat to Nyck de Vries. Tost believes that Schumacher is much better as a racer than he is perceived to be and supports Mercedes boss Toto Wolff's decision to hire him as a backup driver for Lewis Hamilton. Tost initially planned for Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda to be the team's drivers, but Gasly moved to Alpine, leaving a spot open. However, Schumacher's acquisition was rejected, and Nyck de Vries was chosen instead. Schumacher joined Mercedes as a reserve driver, and Wolff praised his talent and work ethic. Schumacher recently tested with Mercedes and expressed readiness to replace Lewis Hamilton if needed. He gained valuable experience and understanding of the team's operations during the test.

Click here to read the full article by Tom Parsons (express.co.uk).

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Horner joins Ferrari??

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The Unlapped team analyzes the potential occurrence of the Italian team making efforts to recruit the Red Bull boss, taking into account the recent comments made by Helmut Marko over their attempt at the 2022 Canadian Grand Prix.