David Coulthard has refused to make a damning appraisal of Red Bull’s new car for 2007 despite failing to shine at the wheel so far.
Also in the hands of the Scot’s new teammate Mark Webber, the Adrian Newey-penned machine had an unreliable and slow start to its on-track life, prompting recollections of Coulthard’s recent assertion that heads should roll if the RB3 bombs.
When asked about the car, Coulthard is quoted as saying by Auto Motor und Sport: “I do not want to avoid the question, but you would not judge the effectiveness of a new plane if you had only flown it in the simulator and for a few metres down the runway.”
The German magazine, however, says that Coulthard and Australian Webber, 30, are reporting a general lack of aerodynamic grip, in stark contrast with the data findings of the newly-commissioned wind tunnel in Bedford (UK).
Auto Motor und Sport adds that the car was up to four kilometres per hour slower at Valencia than engine supplier Renault’s works team last week, and that the new high speed gearbox was not even used due to faults.
The RB3 is reportedly also failing to effectively use Bridgestone’s control tyre.
“Even after long runs the rubber looks like new,” the magazine wrote.
GMMF1
DailyF1News.com
