Red Bull Races to Boost F1 Edge by Season's End

Red Bull intensifies its F1 upgrades, as Waché details this weekend’s critical enhancements.

For the first time this season, Red Bull has suffered back-to-back losses at the Grand Prix in Austria and the United Kingdom, where the reigning world champions evidently did not have the fastest F1 car on the grid. The team is introducing updates to Max Verstappen’s car this weekend in an attempt to reverse this trend, and so far, everything appears to be functioning as intended, according to Technical Director Pierre Waché in Budapest.

“I think the engine cover looks cool! We managed to get in a few laps. That’s already a good sign. I believe it’s a lengthy process to get to grips with the package, definitely. One day is hardly enough to draw conclusions. However, we’ve learned it’s moving in the right direction for now. We haven’t encountered any major issues. That’s certainly a positive. And we will continue to learn throughout the remainder of the weekend. Yes, from our side, it’s clear that we will keep pushing until the end of the season, especially with the current situation. And with the update we now have, we have the opportunity to keep developing in the second half of the season,” said Waché.

Regarding Verstappen’s feedback on these updates, the French engineer acknowledges that evolving on a circuit which bears no resemblance to previous ones complicates the analysis.

“You know, the layout is radically different compared to the last three races we’ve run. It’s difficult to make a comparison. Unsurprisingly, for Max, the issue is the car’s balance, how to go faster. It isn’t really related to the package. It’s more a global issue of temperature, tire operation, and balance,” he explained.

Waché also confirmed that Red Bull will continue to develop its RB20 to the fullest through 2024, due to the very tight margins and the fact that the regulations will remain similar next year before the significant overhaul in 2026.

“It’s certain that the fact the regulations will remain the same and are now quite mature in terms of the overall car concept could impact this aspect. However, you always have the car to build for next year. And your capacity and budget cap are limited to what you can do. I’m sure if we find something and we want to see how it performs on track, and if the fight in the championship is very tight, it’s certain you’ll bring the update. But yes, it pushes you to go further, yet there are always limits,” he affirmed.

Facing a resurgence from their rivals, the Austrian team is also hindered by its wind tunnel time penalty due to its performance in previous seasons.

“You’ve summed up our challenges well. We still have the capability to develop the car, otherwise, we wouldn’t be bringing in the update. And it’s clear that the fact that others are closing in is a significant factor driving us to make even greater efforts to deliver the update sooner. Then, performance doesn’t just come from an overall increase in downforce. It comes from how the driver is able to extract it and how it affects the balance. We are striving to make improvements in this area as well. It’s a crucial element, and we still have room for progress here,” noted the team.

A “possible” return to the old configuration on other circuits has been suggested

It has been proposed that Red Bull might revert to the former specification of its F1 car on other circuits if needed, a possibility that Waché now confirms.

“It’s a possibility. That’s what we checked during the free practice this Friday. And if the cooling requirements and track characteristics push us to change, yes, we will do it. We are always trying to have the fastest car. We try, I say, but that doesn’t mean we succeed. It could be a possibility on every circuit, yes. We don’t know yet.”

For the first time in the current regulatory era, Red Bull must therefore respond with its development to avoid the competition increasingly gaining the upper hand. But how can they best address the current issues of the RB20?

“I think we rely on what we’ve learned over the different seasons with this generation of cars. Additionally, we use simulation extensively. It gives us the direction to develop the car and its characteristics to assist the driver. That’s an important element.”