Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team principal Christian Horner has clarified that the team’s 2024 Formula 1 car is not a conventional progression from its dominant predecessor. After winning all but one of the 22 races in 2023, it would have been easy for Red Bull to simply replicate their previous success for the upcoming season. However, their new RB20 challenger has taken a different approach, with changes such as a reversed sidepod inlet shape and deep gulleys in the engine cover.
Horner acknowledged that these innovations may face scrutiny in the weeks to come, but emphasized the team’s creativity and the unique solutions they have developed. He stated, “It’s not a conservative evolution, there’s some great innovation on this car.” The decision to incorporate engine gulleys similar to those seen on the Mercedes W14 in 2023 was based on performance and supported by simulations.
While the car may appear visibly different in certain areas compared to the previous year, Horner expressed confidence that the design improvements will translate into better performance. He explained, “Only the stopwatch will tell, but in the virtual world, we wouldn’t have committed to this design if we didn’t believe it was an improvement.”
Red Bull dominated the competition, nearly achieving a perfect race win record and accumulating more than double the points of their closest rival. Looking ahead to 2024, Red Bull is favored to claim more titles, but Team Principal Christian Horner acknowledges that surpassing last year’s record-breaking performance will be a challenge. While it may be difficult to set a target of winning every race, Horner believes there is room for improvement, considering they only missed out on one race victory in Singapore. However, with stable regulations, there will likely be a convergence among the teams, as other cars have already shown influence from Red Bull’s successful RB19 model. The team has put in tremendous effort to develop the RB20, constantly pushing the boundaries of performance. The true pecking order will only be revealed once the season begins. Red Bull is determined to continue evolving and seeking marginal gains in all areas to maintain their competitive edge. While Red Bull progresses with the RB20, their rivals, including Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, and Aston Martin, are eager to uncover the secrets of the championship-winning RB19. Former Red Bull employee and Aston Technical Director, Dan Fallows, believes that Red Bull can be beaten. Understanding the RB19’s success will be crucial in catching up to Red Bull, and its influence can already be seen in the designs of other teams’ cars for 2024. Despite stable regulations, Formula 1 teams are still delivering interesting and creative solutions. Horner reveals that the car unveiled on Thursday will not undergo significant changes before the pre-season testing in Bahrain. The budget cap has forced teams to be more selective in their spending and development.
According to the Source motorsportweek.com