Max Verstappen, from the Netherlands, driving for Red Bull Racing, showcased his skills at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah on March 7, 2024. The event of the Formula 1 World Championship marked the second round of the season.
Adrian Newey, the Technical Director of Red Bull, revealed the secret behind the team’s continued success, attributing it to subtle changes made to their RB20 Formula 1 car. Despite the introduction of new ground effect regulations, Red Bull maintained its dominance, with Verstappen leading the team to two consecutive victories in the early races of the season.
When Red Bull unveiled their challenging 2024 car, it caught attention due to noticeable alterations compared to their previous championship-winning car. The narrow sidepod entry, reminiscent of the abandoned ‘zeropod’ solution from the previous year’s Mercedes, and the motor groove inspired by the same brand were particularly striking. However, Newey believes the true advantage lies in the meticulous details of the RB20 that went unnoticed by many.
Newey explained that the underlying architecture of the RB20 is a third-generation evolution of the RB18, with only the radiators being retained. The layout of the front and rear suspension, gearbox, and casing underwent significant development. While the visible aerodynamic changes drew attention, Newey states that the performance gains from these alterations are smaller compared to the more subtle modifications that went unnoticed.
Red Bull came close to achieving a historic sweep in the previous season, but their hopes were dashed in Singapore, when both RB19 cars failed to start in the top 10. Verstappen identified low-speed corners as a weakness of the previous car, leading Red Bull to pursue a more balanced package.
Newey highlighted his efforts to create a car that performs well on all types of circuits. Although Red Bull had a clear advantage on most tracks last year, they faced difficulties on high downforce street circuits. Singapore, in particular, proved to be a challenging race for the team. However, Newey believes that as long as they can avoid disastrous performances on this type of circuit, they can still achieve satisfactory results.
© 2024
