Red Bull is gearing up for a fiercely competitive season next year, according to Christian Horner, the ultra-dominant team’s boss.
Despite Max Verstappen’s staggering dominance this year, the team has faced limitations, having voluntarily restrained the development of its 2023 car given the gap to every rival. Penalties from last year’s budget cap breach resulted in further constraints, specifically in wind tunnel usage.
Yet, Red Bull is reportedly poised for a bold leap in 2024 – at least according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. The iconic Italian sports daily believes the team is working on “radical” improvements for next year’s car. Paolo Filisetti, a correspondent for the publication, reveals, “It will follow an aerodynamic concept that will differ from the current one. The vertical load will be generated and distributed in a radically different way than now. The floor will function differently, adopting a very different volumetric conformation of the Venturi channels.”
These changes are not mere tweaks but a strategic overhaul, as Filisetti adds, “Adrian Newey, Pierre Wache, and the aerodynamicists found several areas of the RB19 that were only marginally evolved as it was unnecessary thanks to the significant gap to the rivals. It was decided to integrate all of those changes into the new project to solve the weak points of the RB19. In other words, while the opponents struggle to chase Verstappen’s current car, Red Bull seems to be ready to introduce countermeasures of the highest level. To dominate yet again.”
Horner himself, however, points out what he sees as clearly shifting dynamics within the pecking order, as key rivals steadily close the gap. He stated to Bloomberg, “Taking into account the stability of the regulations, I think next year that trend will continue, and we will have a much more intense championship. The same can be said for 2025 before the rules reboot in 2026.” He emphasizes Red Bull’s commitment to continual improvement, fully aware that their rivals are quickly catching up and may even start emulating aspects of Red Bull’s car design philosophy. “We see that this is already starting to happen. It will be difficult to make the RB20 significantly better than the RB19,” he asserts.
