Two authoritative sources have admitted they doubt Adrian Newey was telling the whole truth about the air inlet in the ‘step’ nose of Red Bull’s 2012 car.<\/p>\n
Designer Newey, the pioneer of the now-banned blown diffuser solutions seen throughout last year’s grid, insisted that the mysterious letterbox-slot gap in the RB8 is simply to cool the drivers with air.<\/p>\n
But the aerodynamic expert’s explanation was met with some initial scepticism, amid speculation the monocoque air could also be flowing elsewhere for a performance benefit.<\/p>\n
“The drivers are going to get their feet wet when it rains,” a suspicious unnamed engineer smilingly told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.<\/p>\n
Also unconvinced is Joan Villadelprat, a veteran former formula one engineer who has worked at McLaren, Ferrari, Benetton, Prost and – most recently – heading the operations of the sports car team Epsilon Euskadi.<\/p>\n
He wrote in El Pais newspaper: “Personally, I don’t believe Adrian Newey’s explanation that the opening is to refresh the drivers.<\/p>\n
“If that’s what they need then Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber must drive half-asleep,” the Spaniard joked.<\/p>\n
Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport speculates that the RB8’s inlet directs air underneath the floor, as per Ferrari’s innovative nose-slot of 2008.<\/p>\n
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