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Red Bull's DAS arguments and why the FIA proved them wrong

4 July 2020 at 09:07
Last update 4 July 2020 at 11:13
  • GPblog.com

Friday became a long evening for the stewards in Austria, as they had to decide whether the Mercedes DAS system would be allowed or banned for the rest of the 2020 season. In the end Mercedes emerged as the winner and Red Bull Racing dropped out. What were the arguments put forward by Red Bull and did the FIA reject the protest of Max Verstappen's team?

The Austrian race team had of course read the technical regulations of Formula 1 well in advance and with that it came to two points in summary:

  • The suspension of the car may not be adjusted when the car is in motion (Article 3.8).
  • The use of DAS as a steering system also affects the aerodynamics (article 10.2.3)

Red Bull goes on to say: "The Technical Regulations do allow multiple steering systems. RBR contend a steering system should have the primary purpose of being able to steer the car. A secondary system that is, on its own, incapable of steering the car is an unnecessary system."

DAS especially for tyre temperature control

By means of the DAS system the angles of the front wheels can be changed. This would especially help to warm up the tyres when finishing a qualifying lap or during a safety car, for example. "It appears to be used on out and slow laps as a means of adjusting tyre temperature, i.e. its primary purpose is not as a steering system but rather a tyre temperature management system", Red Bull told the FIA.

Paul Monaghan, Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley did story with the FIA with the three of them and came to the following conclusion: "In conclusion, DAS is an unnecessary,separate system requiring a separate driver input and using components which are separate in their effect to the main steering system breaching Articles 3.8 and 10.2.3"

FIA not impressed by Red Bull

However, the stewards are of the opinion that DAS is part of the steering system. As a result, the articles relied on by Red Bull no longer apply.

"The DAS system is not part of the suspension, nor can it be considered to illegitimately adjust the suspension. Therefore the Stewards consider DAS to be a legitimate part of the steering system and hence to satisfy the relevant regulations regarding suspension or aerodynamic influence. In the opinion of the Stewards, the DAS system is physically and functionally a part of the steering system. As such, it benefits of the implicit exceptions to certain suspension regulations applicable to steering."

At the time that DAS had not been part of the steering system, the concept had been declared illegal by the stewards, but that is not the case now.