Verstappen participated in a mid-season evaluation with Red Bull, using the championship-winning RB18 at Imola.
Red Bull clarified that a private evaluation conducted with Max Verstappen before the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix was carried out to compare an older vehicle with the latest version.
The Austrian team started the current season with their dominance from previous seasons seemingly intact, as Verstappen secured four wins in six races.
However, the competition at the front has become more intense, as McLaren and Ferrari have secured victories, while Verstappen has had to work harder to achieve his recent successes.
With five rounds remaining in the next six weeks before the summer break, Red Bull decided to take Verstappen to Imola to experience the championship-winning 2022 car.
Red Bull’s Chief Engineer, Paul Monaghan, revealed that the test aimed to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the RB20 compared to its predecessor, the RB18.
“We make a genuine effort to provide Max with a reference point from a previous vehicle,” Monaghan explained.
“When you’re trying to evaluate the pros and cons of a current car, your reference point is the current car, and someone could argue, ‘well, in previous years we had this, we had that.’
“Did we really have those things because we didn’t run them simultaneously?
“So, taking away that vehicle, our goal is to give Max a reference to evaluate it, and he has been able to provide us with feedback based on that. It’s up to us to decide what to do.”
When asked if his feedback had changed since the test, Monaghan responded, “His feedback won’t change, we simply provided him with a different reference point.
“The strengths and weaknesses of the cars are how we perceive them; obviously, we can evaluate them in relation to our competitors.
“But we combine that with his comments, Checo’s comments, and then we ask ourselves: ‘Are we doing well? Are we doing poorly?’
“We look at the data, determine if it is valid to say if we are better or worse than the others, consider his perspective, why he is saying what he is saying, and then we figure out what to do about it.”
Red Bull has made several updates to the RB20 for this weekend’s race. One of the main changes is a modified inlet on the sidepod, which the team believes will have a positive impact on performance. When asked if these updates were significant, Monaghan responded that they were of a similar magnitude to previous developments. He also mentioned that they are currently working on optimizing the car for the next season.
Red Bull is expected to regain its position as the leading team now that the upcoming circuits are more suited to the characteristics of their car. Monaghan believes they have a good chance of being competitive on these tracks, but emphasized the importance of maximizing their opportunities. Each circuit presents its own challenges, from high-speed sections to low-speed corners, and Red Bull is focused on ensuring a strong performance in all aspects.
In the end, the success of the team will be measured in relation to their competitors. While they cannot control what other teams do, they are determined to give their best and be judged based on their own performance. The upcoming races, including Hungary and Spa, will require adjustments in terms of downforce and cooling. Red Bull is prepared to make these changes and have some fun races if the tracks are similar in nature.
© 2024
Portugal wins the World Cup final in an exciting match against Brazil
The Portuguese football team became champions of the 2024 World Cup in a thrilling match against Brazil. The game, held at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, had an emotional ending with Portugal’s victory of 3-2.
From the beginning, both teams showed high-level football, with fast plays and great technique. Brazil opened the score with a goal from Neymar at the 10th minute of the first half. However, Portugal didn’t give up and managed to equalize the game at the 25th minute with a beautiful goal from Cristiano Ronaldo.
In the second half, the match continued balanced, with goal opportunities for both sides. It was then that Portugal turned the game around at the 65th minute, with a goal from Bruno Fernandes. The Brazilian fans were anxious, but hope returned when Gabriel Jesus equalized the game at the 80th minute.
When everything seemed to be heading towards extra time, Portugal scored the winning goal in stoppage time. Once again, it was Cristiano Ronaldo who shook the net, securing the title for the Portuguese team. The Portuguese fans went crazy with this historic achievement.
With this victory, Portugal became a two-time world champion, repeating the feat of 2016. The Portuguese team, led by coach Fernando Santos, showed consistent football throughout the competition and deserved the title.
The 2024 World Cup final will be remembered in history as one of the most exciting and contested of all time. Brazil, despite the defeat, showed high-level football and made the fans proud. Meanwhile, Portugal, with their determination and determination, won the hearts of the supporters and established themselves as one of the best teams in the world.
