In a bold move to address the woes of last season, Red Bull’s Technical Director, Pierre Wache, has unveiled a strategic shift in concept towards a more compliant RB21. This comes as a response to the headache-inducing performance of its predecessor, the RB20, during the Formula 1 2024 season.
Following the triumph of the dominant RB19 in 2023, the RB20 took to the tracks in 2024 with a roaring start, clinching victories in the initial races. However, as the competition tightened and Red Bull strived to push its concept further, the team hit a wall of challenges. Balance and correlation issues with the RB20, coupled with an obsolete wind tunnel, led to a costly 10-race winless streak in the middle of the season.
The ripple effects were felt in the loss of the Constructors’ title and Max Verstappen’s nail-biting struggle to retain his Drivers’ crown.
To address these setbacks, Wache revealed that the team has taken a scalpel to the RB20, introducing a string of changes in the RB21. He stated, “We reevaluated all the concepts of the car.” The adjustments may not be visibly apparent compared to the older model, but they have significantly altered the internal workings of the car.
Despite the resemblance in the car and bodywork’s overall shape, the team has re-evaluated and made modifications in pursuit of the desired performance characteristics. These changes span across the cooling, suspension, and aero package.
The question on everyone’s mind is, what exactly went awry with the RB20? In 2024, the RB20 morphed into a finicky and unbalanced F1 car with a limited operating window in terms of set-up. Its performance on corners was particularly troublesome and it demanded the utmost from Verstappen, who did his best to garner strong results.
Wache, however, was somewhat reticent about the specifics of the RB20’s issues. He admitted the car was very peaky with high potential that was challenging to extract. These issues resulted in a difficult handling experience for the driver, especially at slow corners.
Another stumbling block for Red Bull was the dated wind tunnel used in designing its cars. The Bedford facility, which is 70 years old, pales in comparison to the state-of-the-art wind tunnels used by competitors like McLaren. While Red Bull is making headway on a replacement, it has had to make do with yearly updates to its current wind tunnel since it entered the sport in 2005.
With the RB21, the team aims to dial back on overall aerodynamic performance potential in favor of drivability and a broader set-up window. Wache explained, “What we did this year, is to maybe reduce the complete potential of the car, the peakiness, but giving a more easy way to use by the driver – that’s what our main purpose was, especially on the entry of the corner.”
He acknowledged that the solution isn’t as simple as it may seem. It involves a multi-dimensional system that extends beyond downforce to include suspension and kinematics. However, the ultimate goal is to reduce the overall grip and capacity of the car to make it more manageable.
In contrast to the limited changes made to the RB20, the work done on the RB21 was much more comprehensive. “Now we did the full concept of the car in this direction,” Wache added.
As F1 2025 approaches, Red Bull aims to steer clear of previous pitfalls and stay ahead of the pack with its revamped RB21. The team acknowledges it is trailing behind two rivals as the new season looms. However, with its renewed focus and strategic changes, the team is optimistic about the upcoming challenges.
