F1: Unloved RB3 to get Spanish boost.

[Rory Phoulorie]

Red Bull Racing is set to run an updated version of its thus far troubled RB3 challenger at the forthcoming Spanish Grand Prix, as the squad strives to get off the mark in what was supposed to be its breakthrough year.

The Milton Keynes-based outfit has struggled with its fast but fragile Adrian Newey-designed machine in the first three grands prix of 2007, with no points to show for its efforts and a best finish of tenth place for Mark Webber and none at all for team-mate David Coulthard, far below pre-season expectations. The team hopes improvements to the car for Barcelona will help both drivers to finally open their accounts.

�Red Bull Racing will be running an updated car at next month's Spanish GP,� team principal Christian Horner confirmed to Crash.net.

The squad will try out aerodynamic and mechanical components at the circuit early next week, as well as its new seamless-shift gearbox, originally scheduled to debut in June's Canadian Grand Prix but whose introduction could be brought forward to Barcelona should testing prove successful.

Red Bull is believed to have been urged to accelerate the development of its new gearbox by motorsport adviser Helmut Marko, adamant the squad must exploit the full potential of the RB3 which � for all its niggling reliability issues � has on occasions such as Bahrain two weeks ago shown a promising turn of speed.

�Apart from Spyker, all the teams are driving with continuously variable transmission,� the Austrian former grand prix ace told Red Bull's official website. �We have to re-tighten this by Barcelona, because it costs us time with every change of gear and acceleration.

�Apart from that the aerodynamics are being completely reworked � not because the ones used before were an aberration but because the second stage of expansion was always planned to happen around this time.

�Red Bull's philosophy is this: we're not satisfied with 12th place. We'd rather risk something. We don't like to bundle all our resources into the development of reliability; we are working on the advancement of speed at the same time.�


http://www.crash.net/news_view~cid~1~id~147099~pid~0.htm

[Rory Phoulorie]

I wonder if STR's car will get similar upgrades once they are satisfied that it works on the RB3?