Adrian Newey: Monza gearbox problems remain a mystery

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel

Even after celebrating a double podium at the Italian Grand Prix, World Champions Red Bull were hard at work to figure out the gearbox issues that plagued both their drivers during the race.

After suffering issues in Friday Practice, the gearbox was opened again prior to the race to replace damaged parts. Even after this, both drivers were asked to short shift during the race to avoid major damage. The drivers were also asked to switch to rain mode, which provides a smoother transmission. This explains why Vettel’s tail light was flashing during the race.

Race telemetry showed high oil temperatures after which the team took caution to avoid a retirement.

Adrian Newey said “Frankly, it’s a mystery. Monza is particularly hard on the gearbox, but we never had a problem like this. With Mark it was serious, while for Vettel it was more of a precaution. It is possible that we will open his gearbox in the factory and everything is fine.”

Team boss Christian Horner added, “Caterham uses an identical gearbox and had no problems.”

Red Bull comfortably lead the Championship by 104 points while Vettel leads by 53 points.