Red Bull has reportedly realized it went overboard with aggressive RB20 design amidst recent struggles
Red Bull made a drastic change from its 2023 concept, which has come to bite the Austrian giant.
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Red Bull RB20, image via Red Bull Racing
Red Bull began the ground effect era as the dominant force in F1. The Austrian giant won an extremely impressive 21 races out of the 22 that were held last year. Witnessing this advantage over the field, the Milton Keynes-based squad decided to try out a different design philosophy for its 2024 campaign, which has appeared as a double-edged sword for them.
Max Verstappen has won seven out of the 14 races held so far this season. While this statistic refers to Red Bull again showcasing its might, the reality is strikingly different. The Milton Keynes-based squad decided to run a design with a hump over the engine cover. This design was understood to have been inspired by last year’s Mercedes. However, this change in concept has come to bite them back as the team has struggled in the last few race weekends.
On the other hand, according to Auto Motor Und Sport, Red Bull’s engineers have realized that they went overboard with the change in concept. This finding has come at a very sensitive time when the Austrian giant has found itself in the midst of a title fight.
Thus, Red Bull is looking extensively to solve the issue with the RB20 and find its groove at the sharp end again. The team is slated to bring an upgrade package at the Italian GP, but the damage is already done as McLaren has found untapped performance in their MCL38.
Helmut Marko deems Red Bull’s RB20 as a ‘b**ch’
When the 2024 season started, the RB20 was asserted to be a history-maker. However, things have changed and the Austrian giant has become aware of the characteristics of the car, which has troubled them on circuits featuring bumps and high curb riding.
Reflecting on the change of nature in the RB20’s behavior, Helmut Marko lamented the car.
At the start of the season, we had a car that was as balanced as the McLaren is now. It could handle all tracks and all conditions. Then we took a wrong turn somewhere. The car has become a bitch that only Max can tame.Helmut Marko said in an interview as quoted by Auto Motor Und Sport
The Austrian claimed that their car was similar to how the McLaren is behaving currently. This has led to a drop in performance at Sergio Perez‘s end. On the other hand, Verstappen has emerged as the only driver capable of handling the RB20 and asserted that only the Dutchman could tame the car’s peculiar characteristics.
Apart from this, the Dutchman’s home race is approaching soon and Red Bull wants to capitalize on the opportunity. Thus, the race in Zandvoort could be the fighting ground where Red Bull, McLaren, and Mercedes fight tooth and nail.
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Geetansh Pasricha
(772 Articles Published)