by The Formula One season opener came to an end on Thursday as Red Bull revealed the last of this year’s contenders. Pleasingly, considering what was for the most part a series of low-key whimpers with cars revealed mostly online with little cruelty and detail, it ended with something of a bang. Red Bull probably left their rivals feeling nervous before a wheel got angry.
Unsurprisingly, team principal Christian Horner, who was speaking publicly for the first time since an investigation was launched almost two weeks ago after receiving a complaint from an employee about his behaviour, appeared to be the main cause of the RB20’s launch.
Related: ‘I built this team’: Horner confident he will stay at Red Bull despite enquiries
He issued repeated denials that there was any truth in the allegations, trying hard to draw attention to the new car that was on display at the event. It was mostly a menial task. Until the investigation is completed, Horner will keep billing at least equal to his car.
Their competitors, however, would look at the new ride with little enthusiasm and when the RB20 appeared, it would cause a sharp intake.
For the last two years Red Bull has completely dominated F1. Their interpretation of the new regulations in 2022, led by their technical director, Adrian Newey, and specifically the role of ground effect aerodynamics, which provided a design that could not be handled, was a great achievement.
A year later, the prospect of rivals dropping their pace and moving up to Red Bull was upset, leaving the world champions surprised as they moved further forward. They won 21 out of 22 races with the RB19, an unprecedented run of success.
The team admitted mid-season that there was likely a reduction in development results as they believed they were already close to the edge of regulation coverage. A refinement of an already excellent package was expected for 2024 and, as their rivals approached Red Bull’s design, an element of speed convergence was expected.
Instead, what Red Bull put out on Thursday was aggressive development, innovation and an experiment in conservative evolution. Rather than tweaking to edge towards marginal gains they have gone bold, trying to push the limits.
The car’s one weakness last season, and it was far from being a real achilles heel, was through the slow speed corners and was therefore vulnerable on street circuits such as Monaco and Singapore. In fact, that solo victory at Marina Bay was with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. It must have been phased and clearly the team is trying to heal it. With such strengths elsewhere the innovation must be focused on solving the one thing.
The season hasn’t started yet but it may have been the goal when Newey and his team started building a car capable of bringing back a championship he had not achieved.
It was the most impressive design, not only because it is an aggressive event, but also significantly in terms of showing elements with colors of the Mercedes design that the team stayed for two unsuccessful seasons and then dropped for 2024. In particular, the vertical side vents, a feature of the controversial zero side Mercedes design that they have now abandoned, and a bulge under the engine cover, a feature of last year’s Mercedes cooling.
Even Red Bull’s reigning world champion, Max Verstappen, admitted it when asked about the similarities. “I still want to call it Red Bull style but I know what you mean,” he said.
Horner explained that the changes were driven by performance research, that simulation had supported their theories and in turn supported the team’s bold direction. “It’s not conservative evolution,” he said. “There is great innovation.”
Newey also had a quiet confidence when the car was launched, realizing that this was far from a shot in the dark.
To be fair, Mercedes did not follow last year’s Red Bull template as other teams did but they also showed innovation of their own, in their side pod configuration, moving their pit back, as requested by Lewis Hamilton, and rear and front wings.
However, it cannot be considered that the team will be throwing feathers if Red Bull manages to remove the side pod design that they believed promised so much but had to abandon it.
As all this shook, whether Red Bull has left their rivals again for dead or even driven down a dead end, remains speculation at the moment but not for much longer. For three short days starting on Wednesday, testing will begin in Bahrain, before the first race at the Sakhir circuit on March 2. Time is precious and there will certainly be cards on the table.
Verstappen believes, ominously, that Red Bull has won again. “What I like about the team is that we had a great package,” he said. “But they took the opportunity to go all out and try to make it better.”
