Max Verstappen proclaims his trust in radically redesigned RB20, insists his team made the ‘right decision’ 

According to Max Verstappen Red Bull made the right decision, by redesigning their new challenger.


Max Verstappen proclaims his trust in radically redesigned RB20, insists his team made the ‘right decision’ 

Red Bull RB 20 (In circle), Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase (Via IMAGO)

Red Bull is set to dominate the upcoming season with their new challenger, the RB20. The car has a bold look and substantial design changes, in contrast to early expectations. Modern radiator technology and a distinct aerodynamic philosophy fitted to the vehicle enable coolers to be more compressed while maintaining the same heat-rejecting capacity. The RB20’s vertical radiator inlet reduces surface area and resembles the original Mercedes 2022 zero side pod design, but it also forms a sizable undercut at the front.

Red Bull’s ace Max Verstappen despite reservations, has backed Red Bull’s RB20 concept and shared his optimism about its design. Verstappen, who won 19 of the 22 races in 2023, is focused on winning the World Championship for the fourth time in 2024. He is positive that he could achieve that dream with the new car Andrian Newey re-designed to avoid rivals from getting too close on the track. While speaking about the same with the media he said,

YouTube video
I trust the team, to be honest, that they have made the right decisions in terms of choosing the right of the car. I saw how it was drawn last year, but I don't care how it looks, as long as it is fast and when I saw it for the first time, fully built, [it doesn't matter] whatever shape it has. I would sit in the car and once you drive out [of the pit-lane], you feel quite quickly if it feels quite normal and unfortunately, our filming day was wet so you don't really know anything.
Max Verstappen said, as reported by racingnews365.com.

For the RB20, Red Bull went with a bold design that includes modified side pods and an engine cover that mimics the Mercedes W14 from the previous season. With Verstappen depending on Adrian Newey’s most recent design, Red Bull feels that its previous concept has passed its limit, and this move offers more room for development.

Red Bull has taken an unconventional stance with the 2024 car

After dominating the previous season, many people predicted Max Verstappen would continue to do so. But other teams have cut into their lead a little bit, so the Milton-Keynes team decided to change their strategy.

Christian Horner and Max Verstappen
Christian Horner and Max Verstappen (via IMAGO). Red Bull RB-20 (Via @PaulBridgen/X)

The decision to forgo a title-winning design in favor of a new one was the subject of discussion when Red Bull unveiled their RB20 pre-season model, which differed significantly from earlier iterations. According to Helmut Marko, Max Verstappen used this tactic to help him win his fourth world championship. While speaking about the same Helmut said,

If we had only brought an evolution of last year’s car, there would have been a great risk that someone would discover something beyond normal development. That is why we have chosen the more radical path.
Marko Helmut said.

In the latter part of 2023, McLaren and Ferrari have advanced significantly, giving Red Bull drivers a competitive advantage in certain races. By 2024, this might be a regular feature that shows how in control the team is of its operations. But looking at what Red Bull’s advisor has said, it indicates that the team has everything under control. 

In case you missed it: