Mercedes tech expert reveals observations on Red Bull’s mighty RB19 challenger

Mercedes’ James Allison has weighed in on where he feels the Red Bull’s RB19 is superior to his, and other, team’s cars.

With Red Bull’s RB19 sweeping all before it this season as Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez hold the top two positions in the world championship, Mercedes’ newly-returned technical director James Allison has noted the strengths the car offers its drivers.

Having begun the season as Mercedes’ chief technical officer, Allison swapped job positions with Mike Elliott following a review of their technical structure, bringing Allison back to the position he held up until early 2021.

James Allison praises ‘inherent quality’ of Red Bull’s RB19.

One of the theories about Red Bull’s speed is that the RB19 is able to run lower to the ground than others without encountering the bouncing issues that such a ride height can trigger.

Earlier in the year,a Mercedes engineer postulated that Red Bull were able to run 10 millimetres closer to the groundthan rival teams.

But Allison believes this theory doesn’t hold much water.

“I think it’s too simplistic and doesn’t do justice to the quality that’s in this car,” Allisontold Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, detailing that the characteristics he’s observed are ones he’d like to be able to give his drivers in the W14.

“I don’t think Red Bull is going much lower than the rest of the field. I also don’t think they are less affected by bouncing than others.

“They have a very efficient car that generates a lot of downforce with a low rear wing setting. And they have cornering behaviour that gives the drivers more confidence than we have. I see no reason why we shouldn’t move in that direction.”

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Put to him that the RB19 produces more sparks going down the straights than other cars, suggesting it’s in contact with the ground more, Allison said it’s a phenomenon that has disappeared as the season has gone on.

“We saw that mainly at the beginning of the season,” he said.

“Where on certain tracks they hit the straights much earlier than other cars. At the moment we don’t observe that anymore.”

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