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Red Bull technical boss Adrian Newey defended the design of his team’s race-winning car after Australian Mark Webber’s triumph in Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix saying the alteration had been cleared in Bahrain.
Pre-race rumours suggested that at least three of their major rivals were poised to protest about a newly-created ‘hole’ in the floor of the Red Bull – claiming it contravened the technical regulations and created more down-force.
But team boss Christian Horner said: “The car complies with the regulations. We’re happy with that. It’s the nature of the sport that this can happen.”
And, Newey added: “This issue first arose after the Bahrain Grand Prix and we have a letter from Charlie Whiting (the official race director) saying categorically that it’s legal, so we’re not worried.”
The defending champions found themselves at the centre of a new technical row, just hours before the start of Sunday’s race.
Rivals were said to be unhappy about the design of the floor of their cars. According to paddock sources close to the engineering staff of McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes teams, they were unhappy at the creation of a ‘hole’ in the floor of Red Bull’s RB8 car, just ahead of the rear wheels.
None of the teams were prepared to make any official complaint about the floor design, but said instead that they hoped it might be investigated.
Red Bull said it had no official comment to make on the issue. The ‘hole’ may contravene article 3.12.5 of F1’s technical regulations.
It was created to improve the airflow under the car and to increase the amount of rear end down-force, which in turn would improve the car’s handling.
Two hours after the finish, and long after Webber had back-flipped into his team’s harbourside pool, the results were declared official.
“It’s an amazing day for the team, myself and really happy to have won here again,” said Webber, who said he did not accept victory was in the bag until the very last corner of the last lap.
It was Webber’s first win since Brazil at the end of last season, the eighth of his career and Red Bull’s third in a row around the treacherous metal-fenced streets and crowded harbourside of the millionaires’ playground.
“It’s a tough nut to crack this race, but we did it again. I had both hands on it today and I wasn’t going to let go,” said the man who also won in 2010 and took the first podium of his career in the principality in 2005.
Germany’s Nico Rosberg finished second for Mercedes, 0.6 seconds behind, while Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso was third and a further 0.3 adrift to go three points clear at the top of the overall standings.
Webber led a nail-bitingly close race, with the top three separated by less than a second at the finish, from pole position to chequered flag as a threatened deluge held off despite darkening skies and drizzle in the closing laps.
