Newey: “No new broadcaster before Monaco”

A few days after this victory, how do you feel?
Waking up on Monday morning after achieving the double at the last Chinese Grand Prix is ​​a pleasant feeling. This gives even more confidence to the whole team, who now know that we are able to achieve such a result regularly, without taking advantage of the problems of other teams or specific racing events. It?s a great reward for the whole team who really worked very hard, but also for Renault and our other technical partners.

Where did you see the race?
I saw it in my kitchen with my wife, Marigold. But she eventually found it too stressful to watch it with me and decided to go and watch it in another room. My daughter then joined me. A few minutes before the end of the Grand Prix, my neighbors also came, despite the early hour, and we celebrated this victory with a good drink. I would have liked to have been in China, but I am much happier with the result.

With the technical problems at the start of the weekend, were you afraid of not seeing the finish?
We were quite confident, because we quickly learned that we had a manufacturing problem on certain gimbals. But it is obviously difficult to be completely sure that nothing can happen. As a result, the last half hour was particularly long.

How has the RB5 evolved since the start of the season?
We fitted modified aerodynamics, including a specific diffuser and front wing, during the final tests before Melbourne. This gave us a good level of competitiveness. For China, we received a few other modifications that allowed us to take things a step further. On a dry track, we were behind the Brawn GP in Melbourne and Malaysia, but we got very close to them in China. Our set-up for Shanghai was practically identical to the one we defined for Australia and Malaysia. The rest also depends on the specificity of the circuit. The gaps between us are now very small, just like what could have been between Ferrari en McLaren last year.

A car which is not equipped with the famous double diffuser won the Chinese Grand Prix. Is this famous piece ultimately unimportant?
The double diffuser undoubtedly provides more performance. But its competitiveness depends on how the regulations are interpreted and how they are integrated into the car. Some teams will therefore benefit more from this new feature than others, depending on the work that has been carried out. We must therefore make one that adapts to the specificities of our car.

When will we see it on the RB5?
The most important thing remains the interaction of the parts which constitute a Formula 1, because it remains above all a whole. So it's not so easy, because we have to redo all the development to adapt it to our car. Our machine has specific rear suspension tie rods, allowing good results to be obtained without this famous part. Making it work in conjunction with a double diffuser is therefore difficult. We will therefore not have a double diffuser before Monaco.

How do you feel after the first three races of the season?
The starting grids seem to have changed considerably compared to last year. The big teams like McLaren, Ferrari and BMW are currently at the back of the grid, but they are not expected to stay there for long! However, it remains refreshing to see other teams and other drivers leading a grand prix.

Will this weekend be contested on a dry track in Bahrain? Do you think of a return of the old top teams?
Difficult to say in relation to the specificities of this route. We don't yet know exactly what the strengths and weaknesses of our car are compared to others based on the demands of each track.

In your opinion, the big teams should return to the top. Do you think they will soon get ahead of you with their big resources?
I don?t hope so. These important technical changes encountered this year make it possible to redistribute the cards. They represent an excellent opportunity for less wealthy teams, but with good technical ideas to make a difference, with intelligent design and inventiveness. When a settlement is stable, the advantage generally goes to the richest teams which can test many pieces more. But that also doesn't mean that a smaller team won't be able to maintain its advantage thanks to a regulation limiting development in order to reduce the arms race that we have witnessed in recent years.

How do you compare this victory to the other successes you have had in your career?
Our company Red Bull Technology already won a race last year with Toro Rosso in Monza. We particularly appreciated it Milton Keynes. This victory in China is also delicious with a superb double which completed excellent qualifications. Other elements such as the change in technical regulations also make it a very special victory. It shows that we have integrated it perfectly by creating a perfectly adapted car. I am all the more satisfied as we worked on these new rules for nine months, without knowing what the competition was achieving on their side. The references have changed.

You are forced to redefine the design of the RB5 since the official authorization to drive with these famous diffusers. Do you think it is a shame to change your initial concept to adapt to this new situation?
This will involve more work. Our challenge now is to integrate it with the rest of the car to maintain a homogeneous whole. But I see this more as a great challenge than any regret, even if it forces us to leave the factory much later in the evening! In Formula 1, you can't just feel sorry for yourself. We must act !