The mystery behind art. 11.1.2 and Red bull’s asymmetric brake system
Abstract
The most discussed
topic of this F1 summer break is absolutely related to art.11.1.2 of the F1
technical regulation and the asymmetric braking system that Red Bull probably
used until the Miami Gp. Let's delve into the subject and understand the rule
and the device used by the most dominant team in the last two championships.
The mystery Behind article
11.1.2
In its early stages, Formula One was a really simple sport, due to the lack of rules and resources available to the various competitors. For example, the name Formula itself comes from the basic formula (considered as a basic set of rules accepted by all competitors) to regulate the construction of the various cars. As time went on, the teams became more and more technologically advanced and were able to find any kind of shortcut in the rules to gain an advantage over other competitors. For this reason, the rules became more and more complex in order to limit this situation, and today the technical regulations are really detailed and extensive, even if the teams are still able to find grey areas sometimes.
The focus of this
article relates to a specific art. of the F1 Technical Regulations (i.e. the
set of rules used to determine the various characteristics of the cars),
concerning the braking system of the cars, which has undergone a mysterious
change, valid from the end of July 2024. The article, before the change, stated
that: " The brake system must be designed so
that within each circuit, the forces applied to the brake pads are the same
magnitude and act as opposing pairs on a given brake disc". Art. 11.1.2 made this principle
very clear in relation to the force applied to each disc, thanks to a famous car
that, in the past, used different forces to gain a significant advantage over
the competitors. That car was the McLaren MP4-12, used in the 1997/98 season,
which had two brake pedals to allow the driver to apply different forces to the
brake discs.
As you can read, the article set a
clear limit, but for some unknown reason a second comma was added. It reads: “Any
system or mechanism which can produce systematically or intentionally,
asymmetric braking torques for a given axle is forbidden.[1]”
This addition may seem marginal and a little useless, but it may explain some
of Red Bull's dominance over the past two years.
Red bull’s
asymmetric brake system?
Thanks to Peter Windsor and Craig
Scarborough, two important voices in the F1 community, it has come to light
that Red Bull may have used a system similar to the “Fiddle Brake”[2], at
least in concept, which uses different brake pressures to calibrate the car's
turning phase smoothly. In this case, it was not a third pedal that activated
the system, but a rear cross-brake inertia valve located on the rear axle.
Although the name and the technical side of this system are quite complex, the
way it works is not that difficult to understand.
Indeed,
this valve works with the G-forces applied to the car during the
braking/cornering phase, in which this valve is able to transfer more or less
fluid to one disc or another, creating an asymmetric braking. This type of
device can not only guarantee a better pace of the car, but also a better
consumption of the tyres, generating a huge advantage not only in raw pace, but
also during races.
Considering
the location of this system, it is difficult to prove that this device was
actually used by the team, but a hint can be found in this mysterious rule
change, which could be a way to better explain the rule and try to make this
device not a rule violation (which must be sanctioned), but a non-punishable
exploitation of a grey area that, in reality, never existed. This rumour seems
to be real and was also reported in the past by an Italian engineer, Mr. Ugo
Notaro, who in a detailed analysis showed how Red Bull already used some
"strange" device during the free practice of the Miami GP 2022.[3]
Another
clue can be found in Red Bull's lack of performance in recent races, which fits
in perfectly with the timeframe for the implementation of this new rule, which came
into force at the end of July 2024.
What will happen?
Considering
the plethora of clues that has been gathered and the different voices that have
spoken about this device, it is very plausible that Red Bull has used this
system to gain an unfair advantage over their rivals. Although
it will be difficult to prove when it was used, we cannot label this as a
theory or a rumour. The aforementioned rule change may mislead some into
thinking that before the addition of the second comma to art. 11.1.2, this kind
of system could be considered legal, or just a grey area, but this is not the
case. The rule was clear even before this
change, and to be outside such a rule means that the RB cars were not legal. If
this is the case, it is clear that this unfair advantage has created a
discrepancy in the sporting results and must be punished in order to maintain
the credibility and respect that the world's most important racing series
deserves.
On
the other hand, looking at previous cases, it is really unlikely that any kind
of action will be taken against Red Bull, which casts another shadow over the
behaviour of the FIA. In fact, the addition of this article creates a perfect
alibi to avoid any kind of sanction.
Ultimately,
we will see what the FIA's position is on this matter by the end of this week,
as the summer break comes to an end and the second half of the season begins. A
season that could also be a turning point for 2025, if appropriate and
proportionate measures are taken.
[1] Art. 11.1.2 of F1 Technical Regulations 2024, FIA.
[2] This was the name used to refer to the McLaren MP4-12’s ingenious
brake system.
[3] You can find the video analysis here: https://youtu.be/wUG0fmbo_Fs?si=9sMyWxGIEE5wrGxi
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