[ad_1]
EXCLUSIVE: the world of motor sport gets their hands dirty in the fight against coronavirus
The fight to save the lives of those infected with the new coronavirus promoted an unimaginable alliance until recently. Red Bull and Renault, which together won four World Drivers titles and four other World Builders titles between 2010 and 2013, broke ties in late 2018 with much controversy and barter between their bosses, Christian Horner and Cyril Abiteboul, respectively. But the two brands have met again in recent weeks as part of the so-called Pitlane Project, in which F1 teams have worked to develop respirators and fans.
Renault engineers worked closely with Red Bull professionals at the Taurean team’s Formula 1 facility in Milton Keynes, England. As a general rule, these are very well-kept spaces with very restricted access, precisely so that the secrets of the car are not revealed. But none of this was considered when the goal was to race against time to help Covid-19 victims.
Thus, old partners and new opponents on the slopes developed a low-cost fan that would, in theory, be used by the UK’s public health service, the NHS (National Health Service). However, the local government, led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, considered that the equipment would not be necessary at this time.
Red Bull and Renault joined forces again for a goal beyond F1 (Photo: Renault)
The United Kingdom is the fourth country with the highest number of coronavirus infections. According to updated Johns Hopkins University figures, there are 191,832 people who contracted Covid-19 and 28,809 fatalities.
In an interview with the American website “Motorsport.com,” Horner praised the work done by employees of both teams and highlighted the effort made to help the health service save lives.
“I think it was something important for F1. We contacted the government as soon as we saw the focus of the crisis and we also coordinated with the other teams. We identified a project to which we were assigned and Renault. I was surprised to see the volunteers move unconditionally, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to support this project, ”he explained.
“We had people, like our chief designer Rob Marshall, working on it. I think he worked for three whole nights in a row and made incredible efforts to transform what was a very rudimentary concept into a fully functional and fully developed fan, “praised the British leader.
Horner was proud to put aside any kind of rivalry between Red Bull and Renault for something much bigger and more important. “At this point, his competitive spirit goes out the window and he looks for solutions. So we had people from Renault working at our factory, at our racing base, at our jobs, at our facilities. Unthinkable under normal circumstances. “
“We had Bob Bell [consultor da Renault] working alongside Rob Marshall, presenting solutions that surprised the industry. It was not just the solution, but the speed with which F1 operates, because the solutions were identified and mechanized overnight, and were run on a platform the moment people returned the next morning. What would normally take about three years for this machine to be ready was done in three and a half weeks, “said the Red Bull boss.
As for the fact that the fan designed in conjunction with Renault was not mass-produced, there was a little disappointment on the one hand, but relief on the other.
“Of course, there was a certain disappointment when we didn’t start series production when we were ready for it. But, also, when you think about it, it was good that the fans weren’t needed because it meant that the need for the National Health Service wasn’t so severe, so these emergency fans weren’t necessary, “he said.
“I think that highlighted F1’s ingenuity, its ability to solve problems, quick prototypes and propose corrections, and the attitude of doing everything and never being defeated, F1’s philosophy. I think he synthesized all the positive aspects of the sport and some of the smartest engineers in the country, who work in F1, “Horner concluded.
|
Support the BIG PRIZE: guarantee the future of our journalism
The BIG PRIZE It is the largest digital media for motorsports in Brazil, in Latin America and in Portuguese, editorially independent. Our great team produces daily content and constantly thinks about innovations, and not only on the Internet: one of our activities is the realization of events, such as the GP Kart Cup. Therefore, your support is always important. Subscribe to the GRANDE PREMIUM: See the plans and what they offer, have a series of exclusive benefits and experiences at your disposal and be part of a special group, the Scuderia GP, with a high-level debate. |
[ad_2]
