David Coulthard confirms the RB20’s smooth shakedown, setting Red Bull’s pace for the 2024 F1 season.
Former F1 driver David Coulthard, a Red Bull ambassador, has confirmed that the shakedown of the RB20 at Silverstone last week resulted in “no surprises” during its initial runs.
Red Bull took its RB20 to the British circuit two days before its official unveiling, in rainy conditions, yet this did not disrupt the debugging of the F1 car, which remains a favorite for the 2024 championship. This is especially true as it has evolved more significantly than rival teams might have anticipated.
“It operates as you would expect under these conditions—no surprises,” Coulthard told the F1 website.
“I think the technical team was pleased with the data collected in terms of… what you can derive from it, the cooling and load sensors.”
“Even if you thought the car was incredible during a shakedown, the only thing that matters is the Saturday qualifying and ultimately Sunday’s race in Bahrain.”
RB20 Evolution Promises Enhanced Performance
Coulthard also confirms that the RB20 seen at Silverstone and on stage during the launch will already be different this week.
“It’s a launch iteration… there will be improvements to come for the tests up to the last day and there might even be an improvement for the Friday of the Bahrain race, and all these improvements should change the performance, balance, and lap times.”
As for Coulthard’s predictions for the upcoming season, he remains cautious.
“I don’t have a crystal ball, but you have to believe Ferrari had a solid car last year in terms of one-lap pace. If they’ve managed to improve what made their race pace difficult, then they are real contenders.”
“Mercedes was making great progress at the end of the year… and McLaren as well. Again, they were at the back of the grid in Bahrain, almost at the front in Abu Dhabi, so a huge growth over the year.”
RB20 Shakedown Silverstone Surprises. RB20 Shakedown Silverstone Surprises
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