Red Bull achieved an impressive record of winning 21 out of 22 Grands Prix during the season, thanks to the exceptional engineering of the RB19. As a result, Verstappen emerged as the champion.
Verstappen has denied any allegations that Red Bull copied elements from Mercedes’ recent cars when developing the RB20.
When Red Bull unveiled the RB20, there was some intrigue surrounding its engine gulleys, which bore a resemblance to those seen on the W14.
During the dominant 2023 season, Red Bull secured an astonishing 21 out of 22 Grands Prix victories, thanks to the remarkable engineering of the RB19, which ultimately led to Verstappen’s championship win.
In contrast, Mercedes struggled to achieve consistent performance with their unpredictable W14.
Therefore, it was unexpected when chief designer Adrian Newey described the RB20 as an “evolution” of the championship-winning car from the previous year, drawing inspiration from Mercedes’ design philosophy.
The choice of a low-profile sidepod design by Newey and the team surprised other teams on the grid, many of whom had adopted a similar design philosophy to that of the RB19 for the 2024 season.
“I saw the drawings, I think in Abu Dhabi, the last race, and I was like, ‘wow, that’s quite different in a way’. They haven’t played it safe, let’s put it that way.
What I appreciate about the team is that we had a great package, but they took the opportunity to really go all out and try to improve it.
Of course, only time will tell if it’s truly great.
But from what I see within the team, everyone is happy with what they accomplished during the winter.
But again, we can’t control what other people did.”
Esteban Ocon shares his thoughts on Mick Schumacher’s return to Formula 1.
Christian Horner also dismissed any claims, stating: “It’s not a strategic move, it’s based on performance and what we’re seeing through our simulation tools.
“Obviously, the car looks visibly different in certain areas compared to last year.
“Only the stopwatch will tell, but in a virtual world, we wouldn’t have chosen this design if we didn’t believe it was better.”
According to the Source formula1news.co.uk
© 2024
