Red Bull wants to develop the RB20 as an evolution of the successful predecessor model – the racing team expects copies from the competition
Red Bull is focusing on continuity in the 2024 Formula 1 season, as the racing team is not planning any major innovations to the RB20, the successor to the 2023 championship-winning car. The team is expecting numerous copies of the successful RB19 from the competition, which is why Red Bull is hoping to stay ahead with a strong evolution
In Milton Keynes, work is already underway on the successor, which is due to be unveiled in a few months’ time. The basis is the 2023 car with which Max Verstappen became world champion. The Dutchman was so dominant that he would have won the constructors’ championship on his own, but with the additional points scored by his team-mate Sergio Perez, Red Bull was actually well ahead.
Red Bull has been developing the new version for some time now, as the focus has quickly shifted to the car for 2024. The reason for this was the clear superiority of the racing team in the 2023 season, which meant that no further major developments were necessary. In the base, resources were therefore quickly allocated to the coming year
Competitors are working on solutions
However, it will not be a foregone conclusion for Red Bull to remain at the top in the 2024 season. The competition has studied the RB19 closely and taken inspiration from it. The championship-winning team is therefore expecting copies of its concept, but perhaps another racing team will find a new insider tip that promises success.
Team boss Christian Horner speaks of “evolution instead of revolution” for the RB20. “All areas of the car will be revised,” the Red Bull string-puller continues. “We can’t afford to be arrogant. It will be an evolution of the basis, because we don’t have to reinvent the wheel. That is the path the engineers have taken over the past twelve months.”
The RB19 has finished first in 21 out of 22 races, but Horner expects a tighter battle for the title from 2024 onwards. The competition never sleeps and, according to the team boss, it is easier to close the gap than to take the next big step forward. He also expects the other teams to simply copy the successful concept
Is the big catch-up now?
“We have climbed the learning curve faster than the others,” says Horner. “But because of the constant rules, I think the others will now catch up and the curve will flatten out. It’s always a fresh start when a new year begins and that’s why I think a lot of cars will be similar to the RB19. Standing still is going backwards, but we are in a position where the advantages will melt away.”
Due to its dominance in the 2024 season, Red Bull was one of the first teams to focus on the development of its successor, but that doesn’t have to be an advantage, according to Horner. Red Bull cannot use the wind tunnel as often as the competition, which is a disadvantage. “So we have less practice than many of our competitors,” he says. “We need to look carefully at how we plan time for the RB20, which is based on the strengths of the RB19. “
