Peter Windsor spots ‘clever’ part Red Bull may have been ‘obliged to remove’ before 2024 decline

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Red Bull have failed to win any of the past four races. It’s their worst run since 2020, when Mercedes were still F1’s dominant force.

In fact, since Max Verstappen crossed the line to take victory in China in April, they’ve only won three of the past nine. Their huge advantage seemed to evaporate rather suddenly.

Verstappen cruised to glory in each of the first four races he finished. Only a brake issue in Australia prevented a 100% record.

He was on course to win again in Miami but Lando Norris received a decisive stroke of luck in his upgraded McLaren as the safety car gave him a free pit stop. Norris streaked clear following the restart to take his first-ever victory.

Verstappen was back on the step at Imola a fortnight later but he had to fend off a furious late charge from the Briton, finishing just 0.7 seconds ahead. Red Bull were well off the pace in Monaco, though back-to-back wins in Canada and Spain for driver number one quashed any talk of a title fight developing.

The 26-year-old has failed to finish on the podium in three of the last four, but he would say those races haven’t been representative. There were late collisions in Austria and Hungary, the first of which may have cost him victory, and he was hampered by an engine penalty at Spa.

Peter Windsor spots Red Bull brake feature the FIA may have banned

Still, many have now concluded that Red Bull no longer boast the fastest car in F1. McLaren may have taken over that mantle.

There have been various theories posited for the drastic change in the competitive landscape. One of those, put forward by Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz, is that rivals have simply out-developed Red Bull.

But Peter Windsor wonders if something else may be behind it. Reviewing an image taken at the Australian GP in March, Windsor spotted a ‘clever’ part in Red Bull’s braking system.

He suspects that the FIA forced them to remove it before their defeat in Miami. And this could be behind Verstappen’s growing complaints about the balance of his car.

“Looks as though RBR might have been running a clever rear cross-brake inertia valve before they were obliged to remove it before Miami,” Windsor wrote on X. “This could explain Max’s RR brake drama in MEL and his turn-in grief since China.

Red Bull ‘lost so much speed’ after FIA investigation

Windsor’s theory aligns with recent claims made by former F1 test driver Robin Frijns. He’s heard that ‘the FIA found something’ on the Red Bull car, or received complaints from other teams.

They subsequently ordered changes to the RB20, which meant Verstappen and Sergio Perez ‘lost so much speed’. The Mexican has only scored 28 points in the last eight races, having lost his cushion to the chasing pack.

Many have wondered what Red Bull’s recent decline might mean for Verstappen’s future. He’s under contract until 2028, but that deal isn’t watertight.

Verstappen is expected to stay for 2025, but his plans beyond that are unclear. Mercedes, the most interested party, have won three of the last four.

The world champion will be demanding an improvement. Verstappen is really ‘bothered’ by the events of recent months and holds his team to the highest of standards.