Red Bull's exposed floor design likely to appear on more F1 cars in 2023: 'It's not ideal'

Red Bull chief engineer Paul Monaghan anticipates that rival Formula 1 teams will face challenges in replicating the floor design of their RB19 until the Japanese Grand Prix.

The RB19 has established its dominance with seven consecutive wins, including Max Verstappen's remarkable 24-second triumph over Lewis Hamilton at the Spanish Grand Prix.

The key advantage of the RB19 lies in its floor and underside, which was partially revealed when a crane removed Sergio Perez's car following his crash during Monaco qualifying.

Red Bull expressed displeasure at this incident but remains confident that simply observing the car's floor does not guarantee immediate replication.

"It's not ideal, we don't hoist our car up like that, but it has occurred and we will move forward," stated Monaghan in his conversation with the media.

"However, there is a delay between people observing it, implementing it on their car, and actually gaining speed from it."

A crucial factor

Monaghan emphasized the importance of proper integration rather than a mere imitation: "An uninformed replica won't necessarily result in improved performance. It needs to be integrated. The floor geometry is a crucial factor for these cars."

He reminded everyone that working with floors is not a novel experience: "Let's not forget that people carry floors in and out of garages, lifting the front of the cars. It's not the first time."

Red Bull has a well-established development plan to enhance their speed, and Monaghan stressed the significance of adhering to it.

"If we disrupt someone else's development plan, it will likely increase the time it takes for them to implement changes on their car," he explained.

"Around the time of the Japanese Grand Prix (in September), we will