Adrian Newey: Yes, we've got the double diffuser - FORMULA 1

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Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Adrian Newey: Yes, we've got the double diffuser

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Q. Can you clarify what the latest is on the diffuser? Have you got the double decker here?

Adrian Newey: Yes, we've got the double diffuser.

Q. On both cars?

AN: Yes. We are going to fit it on both cars and see how we get on. We run load cells to try and measure the downforce of the car around the circuit and if at the end of the session we have concerns, then we will review the rest of the weekend.

So there is an element of risk in putting it on both cars in terms of, does it perform as predicted by the wind tunnel? Is there a mechanical problem that we have not thought of that causes the cars to break down? But we've decided to take that risk - as we would rather find out about it.

The other thing is that if we had only put it on one car, then Murphy's Law around here dictates that that will be the car that ends up in the wall on the first lap and we won't learn anything about it. That is why we will fit it on both cars.

Q. Was it an easy process time wise to get it all on, or was it all a bit last minute?

AN: It has been a bit last minute, but not too bad. We wanted to get it on both cars because it was Monaco. At other circuits, if we had it on one car the first day and then both cars the next it wouldn't have been so bad, but here we wanted to make sure that both drivers had the most practice they could on what will be their race set-up.

Q. What figures have you had from the wind tunnel and simulation?

AN: That is for us to know!

Q. But people are saying that the Red Bull is so quick without the diffuser that when you put it on it should be streets ahead?

AN: Hopefully it should be a small step, yes.

Q. Would the step have been bigger if you didn't have your rear suspension set-up?

AN: Well, it is difficult to answer that because we've only designed it around the rear suspension we have. It would be a piece of research that we need to do for next year's car, but we haven't properly evaluated that yet.

Q. Did you have to make big compromises to get the diffuser in?

AN: Not big compromises. We had to make a little bit of a compromise on the pullrod, but not a big compromise. But it has been a difficult exercise getting it in, and to answer the question could we have got more out of it if it had been a pushrod rear suspension, we can't answer that yet.

Q. What about here, how much will it bring on this circuit?

AN: It should bring a bit. It is a misconception that Monaco is a very low-speed circuit. Obviously in average lap speed it is, but there are some reasonably quick corners here so downforce is important.

Q. Do you expect to see the performance advantage of the new diffuser here, or do you expect to see more in Turkey?

AN: What we normally do is have the offset of one tenth of a second gained per per cent of downforce. The circuits don't vary that much, although some circuits are more downforce orientated than others.

I am afraid I am going to have to be honest and admit that I didn't look for this circuit because we were just pushing as hard as we can and not on what it will bring. You could argue that if it was Silverstone it would be more of a benefit, but there should still be a benefit here.

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