The fact that Red Bull has come up with a new concept despite its dominance in 2023 surprises engine partner Honda – reliability improved for 2024
Engine manufacturer Honda is surprised that Red Bull has made so many changes to its RB20 for the 2024 Formula 1 season. After all, the team had the most dominant season in history with the previous model, winning a total of 21 out of 22 races this season – only in Singapore did Ferrari come out on top.
So it would seem obvious for Red Bull to rest on its laurels and stick to its successful concept. But when the RB20 was unveiled in February, it surprised many with its completely revised design – including Honda.
“We were very surprised that they changed so much on the RB20,” Koji Watanabe, Managing Director of Honda’s racing division HRC, told Motorsport.com. “Last year we won 21 out of 22 races together and yet they changed the concept. Unbelievable!”
Red Bull had previously made “a lot of requests” to the Japanese, whose engines are still installed in the rear of the car, to adapt the engine to the new chassis. “And after we saw the RB20 in the flesh, we were very surprised at how many changes they made,” says Watanabe.
Honda made a few adjustments to the mounting points and at the same time worked on increasing the reliability of the power unit, as the Japanese driver reveals. This can still be done even under the current engine freeze.
“Of course, we can’t increase the power, but we can adapt the engine to the new chassis,” says Watanabe. “We can also improve the reliability of the engine. We did that last winter. “
“This has given Red Bull more freedom in terms of design and aerodynamics. They were able to change the position of the oil coolers, radiators and so on,” he explains.
Last year, there was always a small risk of damage to the power unit. “That didn’t turn out to be a big problem in the end, but we always have to minimize the risk,” says the Honda President. “That’s why we’ve done our best to improve the reliability of the engine even further for this year. “