F1 News: Red Bull To Improve RB19 In Every Way For 2024 Season - "Make It Even Stronger"
Red Bull Racing, following their dominant 2023 season, is set to overhaul the RB19 for the 2024 season, aiming to bolster its already formidable performance. The team, led by world champion Max Verstappen and team boss Christian Horner, is focusing on addressing the car's few weaknesses despite its overwhelming success.
Key Takeaways:
- Dominant 2023 Campaign: The Milton Keynes-based squad, Red Bull Racing, won nearly every race in 2023, claiming both the constructors’ and drivers’ championships with Max Verstappen. Despite this success, the team is not resting on its laurels and is seeking further improvements.
- RB20 - A New Design Evolution: Red Bull halted development early in the season to focus on the future, hinting at a significant design and aesthetic change from the RB19 to the RB20. This shift reflects the team's commitment to continuous evolution and competitiveness.
- Stable Regulations and Rivalry: With no major rule changes expected in 2024, Horner sees a chance for competitors to catch up. This scenario drives Red Bull's ambition to enhance every aspect of the RB19, ensuring it remains a step ahead in the fiercely competitive F1 landscape.
The 2023 season saw Red Bull Racing at the pinnacle of their, or any other team's performance in the history of the sport. The team and Verstappen achieved record-breaking feats, and showed us a level of performance that will likely stand the test of time.
Despite the RB19's dominance, both Verstappen and Horner recognise areas for improvement in the car - maybe the downshifts? Verstappen, speaking at the FIA Prize Gala in Baku, acknowledged the car's strengths but pointed out weaknesses that the team could address.
He said:
“I don't think you can talk about percentages or whatever, but there are always things that we can do better.
"We know that the car has been very, very dominant, but we've also seen a few weaknesses in the car where I think we can do better. And that's what we're working on for next year.”
Christian Horner, Red Bull's team principal, echoed this sentiment.
“I think with stable regulations, we know that the field will converge. We've seen that at different points during the course of the past year.
"So for us, we have to improve and we have to keep evolving. I think all aspects of RB19 are being looked at to evolve into RB20, and hopefully make it even stronger because I'm sure that's what our competitors will be looking to do.”
Red Bull's philosophy extends beyond measuring achievements in numbers. Verstappen and the team understand that replicating the sheer number of victories from 2023 might be challenging, yet improvement isn't solely quantified by race wins. The focus is on consistent development and being competitive for championships, regardless of the number of races won.
There is very little chance the Milton Keynes team will reach the sheer intensity of records they've broken this year next season, but as long as they finish at least a point ahead of those behind them, they're doing something right.