LONDON, England - Red Bull's early-season technical crisis is plumbing new depths with news that the reigning Formula 1 champion team is calling up junior team Toro Rosso for help.
Italy's authoritative Autosprint magazine reports that Red Bull has asked the sister team for assistance on the all-new 'brake-by-wire' technology which is tied in with the highly-sophisticated 'ERS' systems.
MORE PROBLEMS
Veteran correspondent Alberto Antonini wrote: "The fact that Red Bull wants to use someone else's (system) says a lot about the size of Red Bull's other problems."
Red Bull's Helmut Marko admitted on Austria's Servus TV: "One of those bigger problems is extreme turbo-lag. You step on the gas but the power comes all of a sudden, the wheels spin, the car slides and you lose speed.
"We are working with Renault on the test benches day and night to improve the situation for Melbourne."
2013 champion Sebastian Vettel, however, is expecting to struggle in Melbourne, where the season-opening GP will be raced. "If half the drivers fail to finish, then maybe we could take a few points," he said. "At the moment we have bigger problems to solve than just the pace."
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2014 F1 season – fresh reports every day.
Italy's authoritative Autosprint magazine reports that Red Bull has asked the sister team for assistance on the all-new 'brake-by-wire' technology which is tied in with the highly-sophisticated 'ERS' systems.
MORE PROBLEMS
Veteran correspondent Alberto Antonini wrote: "The fact that Red Bull wants to use someone else's (system) says a lot about the size of Red Bull's other problems."
Red Bull's Helmut Marko admitted on Austria's Servus TV: "One of those bigger problems is extreme turbo-lag. You step on the gas but the power comes all of a sudden, the wheels spin, the car slides and you lose speed.
"We are working with Renault on the test benches day and night to improve the situation for Melbourne."
2013 champion Sebastian Vettel, however, is expecting to struggle in Melbourne, where the season-opening GP will be raced. "If half the drivers fail to finish, then maybe we could take a few points," he said. "At the moment we have bigger problems to solve than just the pace."
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2014 F1 season – fresh reports every day.