Formula 1’s season-opening salvo finally came to an end on Thursday with the announcement of this year’s final entry by Red Bull. Satisfyingly, it ended with a bang of sorts, considering it was largely a series of low-key whiners with the cars appearing online with only little fanfare and minor details. Red Bull probably had its rivals feeling on edge before the wheels turned in anger.
The RB20 launch was unsurprisingly dominated by the appearance of team principal Christian Horner, who spoke publicly for the first time since an investigation launched almost two weeks ago following an employee complaint about his behaviour.
Relating to: ‘I built this team’: Horner confident he will stay at Red Bull despite investigations
While he repeatedly denied there was any truth to the claims, he also dutifully tried to draw attention to the new car that was on display at the event. It was a largely hopeless task. Until the investigation is concluded, Horner will be billed at least the same amount for his car.
But its rivals were watching the new ride with great attention, and when the RB20 came to light it would cause a sharp gasp.
Red Bull completely dominated F1 for two years. Led by their technical director Adrian Newey, their interpretation of the new regulations for 2022, and in particular the role of ground effect aerodynamics, was a remarkable achievement, delivering a design that has proven to be untouchable.
A year later, expectations that the rivals would slow down and switch to Red Bull were dashed, leaving the world champions stunned as they moved further forward. They won 21 of 22 races with the RB19; it was an unprecedented streak of success.
The team acknowledged mid-season that returns from development had likely diminished as they believed they were already approaching the limit of regulations. The already superior package was expected to be further developed for 2024, and an element of convergence in speed was also expected as rivals moved closer to the Red Bull design.
Instead, what Red Bull unveiled on Thursday was aggressive development, innovation and experimentation over conservative evolution. Instead of pushing towards marginal gains, they were bold and tried to push the boundaries.
One of the weak points of the car last season, which was not a weak point at all, was that it was difficult to pass in slow corners and therefore weak on street circuits such as Monaco and Singapore. In fact, that only defeat was against Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz at Marina Bay. This must be troubling, and it’s clear the team is setting out to fix it. Despite such strengths elsewhere, innovation must strictly aim to eliminate the single disruption.
The season hasn’t even started yet, but perhaps the goal when Newey and his team started was to build a car capable of bringing back an unbeaten championship.
The design was notable not only for being an aggressive debut, but also for containing elements that carry overtones of the Mercedes design that the team insisted on for two unsuccessful seasons and then abandoned for 2024. Especially vertical sidepod inlets are a feature of the vehicle. They’ve now abandoned Mercedes’ controversial zero-sidepod design, and there’s a bulge under the engine cover that was a feature of the cooling on last year’s Mercedes.
Even Red Bull’s world champion Max Verstappen admitted when asked about the similarities. “I would still call it Red Bull style, but I know what you mean,” he said.
Horner explained that the changes stemmed from performance research, that the simulation supported his theories, and that he himself supported the team’s bold side. “This is not a conservative evolution,” he said. “There are some big innovations.”
Newey also exuded a quiet sense of confidence at the car’s launch; the sense that this was far from a shot in the dark.
To be fair, Mercedes, like other teams, not only followed last year’s Red Bull template, but also showed their own innovations in the sidepod configuration, moving the cockpit backwards at the request of Lewis Hamilton, and the rear and rear end. front wings.
However, it is impossible not to think that the team would send chills if they achieved the sidepod design that Red Bull believed promised but had to give up.
How this will all play out, whether Red Bull will once again leave its rivals to die or even lead them into a stalemate, remains anyone’s guess for now, but it won’t be for long. Testing over three short days from Wednesday will begin in Bahrain before the first race at the Sakhir circuit on March 2. There is little time, so there will definitely be cards on the table.
Worryingly, Verstappen believes Red Bull has a winning hand once again. “My favorite thing about the team is that we have a great package,” he said. “But they really took the chance to do what they could and try to make it better.”