RBR Secret Testing

[11110111]

http://blog.axisofoversteer.com/2014/06/poisoned-l...

Random rumours or a story with substance?

[zac510]

Sounds like it has substance, although if the article is correct then there doesn't strike me as anything wrong with it. The secrecy might come more from desire to preserve a competitive advantage than hiding cheating.

[Justaredbadge]

It was STR, not RBR.

It depends if it was just a rig test (not illegal) or a full on rolling road wind tunnel test (illegal).

Either way STR are being very good at not answering questions about it.

[n3il123]

Sounds like a non issue

Article said:

We can confirm a Toro Rosso was indeed tested but it had no front or rear wings and no air was blown over it. The rules do allow for testing for the purposes of developing cooling components with the caveat that absolutely no direct or indirect measurements be taken for anything relating to aero load.

And

Article said:

The car was tested with hoses attached directly to the the engine air inlets, something which is specifically allowed (F1 Sporting Regulations appendix 8, 1.2 )

I guess as the article suggests the main issue is the secrecy and who sent the letter.

[Scuffers]

Justaredbadge said:

It was STR, not RBR.

so, it's not illegal in any way, but lets blame red bull?

it was pretty obvious at the time that the renault engines screwed and needed installation testing desperately, so makes sense they would do this.

what's the problem?

[Justaredbadge]

Scuffers said:

so, it's not illegal in any way, but lets blame red bull?

it was pretty obvious at the time that the renault engines screwed and needed installation testing desperately, so makes sense they would do this.

what's the problem?

Until STR Clarified that the front wing, rear wing and diffuser were not fitted and that no measurements had been taken of down force (only of cooling) it may well have been illegal. It was a legitimate story and the media should be concentrating on things like this for two reasons:
1, it helps police the sport
2, anything to keep the dog-lazy Hacks from producing more drivel about the hamilton/rosberg feud and trying desperately to compare it to Prost/Senna.

[Scuffers]

So, why now and how did this story grow legs?

[Justaredbadge]

Scuffers said:

So, why now and how did this story grow legs?

Because all that was known was that a red bull liveried car had been in a wind tunnel for some full scale testing. Which is illegal. RBR pretty quickly held up their hands and said it wasn't them. Everyone metaphorically turned to look at STR who eventually said they had tested in a full size tunnel, then once the story had gained legs, they said that it had only been the cooling package they had been testing, not the aero as none of that had been fitted.

So as I said, it was a legitimate story/investigation that turned out to be a legal practice that maybe the other renault engined teams should have done too. Iirc str did the most running in preseason testing as their car held together when others didn't.