Red Bull chief technical officer Adrian Newey says the team is starting to turn its attentions to the 2012 car as well as developing the current pace-setter.
The Newey-designed RB7 has dominated the 2011 championship so far with Sebastian Vettel winning six out of eight races and every pole position having gone to either Vettel or team-mate Mark Webber. Newey told ESPNF1 that despite the current focus on off-throttle blown diffusers, he is beginning to turn attentions to next season as well.
"We're at that time of the year where we've got to continue developing the RB7," Newey said. "We're not even half way though the championship yet so we've got to keep pushing, but of course we've also now got to start thinking of next year's car so it's that two hat role now."
With the off-throttle diffuser ban coming in to effect next weekend at Silverstone, Newey said that Red Bull was aware of what its losses would be, but that it was impossible to try to calculate how much other teams would lose out due to the difference in engine configurations.
"We have a rough idea [of our losses] yes, but what we're not clear on is whether all engines are being penalised by the same amount or not and then obviously if it will affect some cars more than others… In terms of the rest of the season it certainly gives us a bit of work in terms of making sure that we operate the car as efficiently as possible."
As the most sought-after designer in the paddock, Newey also said that he feels that the last Formula One car he will design will be a Red Bull, and that he would move away from motorsport altogether when he decides it is time for his career in F1 to come to an end.
"I think as far as my Formula One career goes then I'm very happy at Red Bull and I really can't see myself moving anywhere else. What I'll do at some point in the future I've got no idea at the moment. I can't see myself doing anything else within motorsport particularly, I think if I was going to do something different it would be something very different."
Chris Medland is an assistant editor on ESPNF1
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
Feeds: ESPNF1 Staff - Feedback
No comments:
Post a Comment