[PapaofGags]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/red-b...e/4320655/

Red Bull says Honda giving it 'party mode' for first time.

Red Bull believes it will be able to celebrate a Formula 1 engine 'party mode' for the first time thanks to its new-for-2019 partner Honda.

Red Bull has talked up Honda since inking a two-year deal in the middle of 2018, declaring it had surpassed Renault before the end of the season.

The team's motorsport advisor Dr Helmut Marko believes planned gains for 2019 should put Red Bull in the "region" of F1's current benchmarks Mercedes and Ferrari, and have triggered "a real euphoria" and "a sense of optimism" within the team.

"For the first time we can also celebrate with a 'party mode'!

"The Honda engine is already slightly above the Renault engine. If you combine our GPS data with the data provided by Honda, we'll be in the Mercedes and Ferrari region.

"Of course they're not sleeping either. But they are already at such a high level that they can no longer make such jumps.

"Even if we should be 10 or 15 kW behind, that was no different in our Renault era with the eight-cylinder engine. We can make up for that."

[PapaofGags]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/toro-...l/4321183/

Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost says that the Italian Formula 1 team is willing to take more grid penalty hits in 2019 in order to help Red Bull.

Last year Toro Rosso drivers Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley often took Honda engine penalties because it wanted to accelerate the Japanese manufacturer's development schedule.

With Red Bull switching to Honda engines this season, and its new supplier yet to provide definitive on-track proof it has the performance and reliability to mount a title challenge, a similar strategy would be much more costly for the senior team.

Tost told Motorsport.com that Toro Rosso is willing to continue to take hits if it accelerates development and protects Red Bull drivers from having too many penalties.

"If that helps the strategy for Red Bull to win races and the world championship, of course," said Tost.

"We do not even need to discuss this, it's within our philosophy. I'm more than happy with it, because in parallel we also improve the performance."

Toro Rosso will take advantage of F1's listed/non-listed parts rules in 2019 to use components produced by Red Bull, including the entire rear end of the car and gearbox.

Honda is eyeing a "big advantage" from this compared to having two customers with different rear-end architectures and Tost agrees it will pay dividends.

"There's no doubt that we will profit from the synergies and the co-operation with Red Bull Technologies," said Tost.

[PapaofGags]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/red-b...y/4324084/

Red Bull "found a way" to reinvigorate Newey.

Red Bull "found a way" to reinvigorate Adrian Newey's Formula 1 motivation and has been helped in part by the team's switch to Honda, says Dr Helmut Marko.

Newey is Red Bull's chief technical officer but his direct F1 responsibility had reduced in recent years as he engaged in other projects, such as the America's Cup and Aston Martin's Valkyrie hypercar, before becoming more involved again when Red Bull made a slow start under F1's new high-downforce regulations in 2017.

Red Bull motorsport advisor Marko said the team's switch from Renault to Honda engines has helped keep Newey sharp, as well as giving him the freedom to choose how involved he is on a daily basis.

"Newey doesn't want a normal working day anymore," said Marko. "He is working for us on a daily allowance. He was very fascinated and interested in the Valkyrie project.

"You always need new tasks for him. If Newey knows that you have no chance with the engine, then you don't have the same Newey as now.

Marko said "having a motivated Newey is a big asset" to Red Bull, which is bidding to win a title for the first time since the last of its four straight drivers' and constructors' championship doubles in 2013.

"We've found a way to meet his personal needs," Marko said. "It brings value to the team for us."

Newey is in the final year of his contract at Red Bull.

[forzaferrari]

Formula 1’s front wing rule changes cost Red Bull €15million but it has already recovered a large amount of performance, says the company’s motorsport advisor Dr Helmut Marko.
F1’s 2019 changes include simplified front wings and bargeboards in a bid to make it easier for cars to follow, which in turn should lead to closer and better racing.

Red Bull were vocal opponents to the decision to push through those changes in May last year, citing a lack of reliable data to support it and the financial impact it would have.

Marko told Motorsport.com that while the front wing would improve F1’s overtaking prospects, despite performance level “already at the standard” of mid-2018, “we are €15million poorer”.

“We have the same [aerodynamic] data as last summer,” said Marko. “By the time we get to Melbourne we'll probably be better than that.
“[But] there is now a good basis for discussion between Mercedes, Ferrari and us. We agree that regulations must not be determined by technicians.
“As soon as technicians are involved, the costs increase and everything becomes complicated.
“Things have to be specified.”

Marko said the rule change was “mainly done on the initiative of Mercedes”, F1’s double world champion team for the past five seasons.
He said: “Everyone can see how difficult it is for Mercedes to overtake when they are behind [another car].”

Despite frustrations over the nature of the 2019 changes, Marko said Red Bull’s political relationships were stronger than before.
As well as a good relationship with Mercedes, Marko claimed that “a lot of sympathy” developed between Red Bull and Ferrari following the death of president and CEO Sergio Marchionne last summer.
This could be significant for F1’s leading teams if they can align themselves on key issues in F1 as talks continue over much more fundamental rules changes that are planned for 2021.
F1’s owner Liberty Media has reached an impasse with its intended regulatory overhaul that is meant to encompass major amendments to how F1 is governed, the way teams receive financial payments and the technical regulations.

Marko pointed to a lack of progress on budget caps and engine rules as an example of Liberty failing to agree a way forward.
“I believe that by not deciding anything we are slowly reaching a critical phase,” he said
“If I am Liberty, a listed company that acquired its shares at a very high price, then I will at some stage need to explain to my shareholders what I expect 2021 to look like.
"What are the revenue opportunities, how is it going to continue?"

[forzaferrari]

Karting on ice
https://twitter.com/i/status/1093842357676589056

[PapaofGags]

The packaging of Honda’s Formula 1 engine was a “little bit too aggressive” in pre-season testing and the manufacturer is planning fixes in time for the Australian Grand Prix.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner lauded the installation of Honda’s engine as “a thing of beauty” at the start of pre-season testing at Barcelona, while Honda said it had not come at the cost of reliability.

Neither Honda teams suffered major concerns in Spain but its F1 technical director Toyoharu Tanabe has admitted he was made “nervous sometimes” as new partner Red Bull and Toro Rosso got to grips with the 2019 product.

Tanabe told Motorsport.com he was “not confident enough” with the progress that had been made, despite the manufacturer’s best pre-season performance since returning to the F1 grid in 2015.

“We don’t have a serious problem with the current installation, but we found some issues because of the tight packaging,” said Tanabe.

“The shape was a little bit too aggressive, so we need to make it a little bit different.
“It’s not a big concern.”

[Monster Hesh]

When have we seen "tight" packaging, not being an issue? Is it the engine it's self design, or is it the car body design? I assume it's the engine itself by the way that article is worded. 

Either way this could be very bad news, with such a rushed fix in just two weeks. There'll be a whole lot of work to redo. Will RedBull and TR both have to also redo their rear packaging to make room for Honda's revamp. Making a majority of their testing data for the rear obsolete. 

There were alot of rumours during testing about unwanted vibrations from the Honda, so that coupled with too tight, is too reminiscent of their first 3 years. I did read that TR used two engines during testing, out of choice, to test configs, not because of an issue.

Im sure we are all hoping that Honda and the RedBull family have simple sound solutions for seamless implementation, and that the first half of the season isn't compromised.

[morini]

Bullish from Marko

https://www.gpfans.com/en/articles/37124...ari-marko/

Funny how he was saying after testing RBR were behind Ferrari but ahead of Mercedes.

Seems you've changed your tune now Marko, you mouthy fool. Learn when to STFU and you may be perceived as less of an irritating twat.

[Jody Barton]

Marko is a twat for sure, and being bullish after the first race is nonsense, it's Albert Park, come Bahrain Red Bull could be a distant third again. However, Melbourne was really encouraging for them and Honda. I hope it was genuine and that they can challenge.

[PapaofGags]

Dan Ticktum has been selected by Red Bull to take part in their Bahrain test alongside Max Verstappen.

Earlier this month, Ticktum said he was hoping to get a chance to impress in the RB15 at some stage this season after now earning the necessary superlicence points.

The Brit followed up a second place finish in the 2018 European Formula 3 championship, with consecutive Macau Grand Prix victories, allowing him to get an opportunity in current Formula 1 machinery.