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Red Bull Racing RB20

From Alfawiki
Red Bull Racing RB20
Company typeFormula One racing car
IndustryMotorsport
PredecessorRB19
Founded15 February 2024
Headquarters
Milton Keynes
,
United Kingdom
Key people
Adrian Newey (Chief Technical Officer, until mid-2024)
ProductsFormula One car
ParentRed Bull Racing

The Red Bull Racing RB20 is a Formula One car crafted by Red Bull Racing that clinched championship success, powered by the Honda RBPTH002 hybrid powertrain for the 2024 Formula One World Championship. It was revealed at the Milton Keynes facility on 15 February 2024, following the achievements of its predecessor, the RB19. The vehicle was piloted by reigning World Champion Max Verstappen alongside teammate Sergio Pérez, who participated in his final year with the squad, making its competitive debut at the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix.

Early in the season, the RB20 showcased commanding speed reminiscent of Red Bull's prior year's dominance. Nevertheless, as the championship advanced, intensified rivalry from teams such as McLaren with their MCL38 and Scuderia Ferrari began to erode Red Bull's supremacy. Despite implementing upgrades aimed at reclaiming their initial advantage, Red Bull ultimately slipped to third place in the Constructors' standings. Verstappen achieved victories at both the São Paulo and Qatar Grands Prix; his triumph in São Paulo was pivotal in securing the Drivers' Championship at Las Vegas. Conversely, Pérez experienced a comparatively challenging season, finishing eighth overall with 152 points compared to Verstappen’s 437, and a clutch malfunction in Qatar further compromised Red Bull's bid for the Constructors' title. In conclusion, Red Bull ended the season behind Ferrari and McLaren in third position. The RB20 accumulated nine race wins (plus four sprint victories), eighteen podium finishes, eight pole positions, four sprint poles, and recorded four fastest laps.

Significantly, the RB20 represents the last Red Bull Formula One car designed under Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey before his transition to Aston Martin midway through the season.

Pre-season

Following pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, Max Verstappen expressed contentment with the RB20’s capabilities. Red Bull concentrated on development rather than outright lap times during testing and topped only on the initial day.

Opening rounds: Dominant form

At the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix, the RB20 demonstrated exceptional speed; Verstappen claimed pole position and secured his fifth career grand chelem. Pérez finished second, trailing by 22 seconds. Verstappen continued his strong form with another commanding win at the , marking his 100th career podium finish; Pérez again took second place, 13 seconds behind.

During the , Verstappen retired due to brake failure—the first such retirement in over two years—allowing Scuderia Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. to take victory. Subsequently, Verstappen and Pérez achieved additional wins and double podiums at both the and Grands Prix.

In Miami, Verstappen appeared set for victory after winning the sprint but struck a bollard that damaged his floor. A following safety car period enabled Lando Norris to overtake him for his inaugural Grand Prix win; Pérez completed the race in fourth.

Mid-season rounds: Falling behind rivals

At the , Verstappen led much of the race from pole position and secured victory despite late pressure from Norris; Pérez finished eighth—his first finish outside the top five this year. At , Verstappen qualified sixth and finished sixth; Pérez retired following an incident involving Haas drivers. Verstappen won both the and Grands Prix ahead of Norris on each occasion, while Pérez failed to achieve top-five finishes, retiring in Canada and placing eighth in Spain.

Verstappen took pole and won the sprint race. During the main event, a slow pit stop allowed Norris to challenge before a collision on lap 64 caused punctures and forced Norris out of contention. Verstappen received a time penalty but still managed fifth place. Pérez finished seventh after being overtaken by Nico Hülkenberg late in the race. The Grand Prix proved difficult for Red Bull; qualifying mistakes saw Pérez eliminated in Q1 and Verstappen suffer floor damage. Verstappen recovered to finish second while Pérez ended seventeenth. At , Verstappen struggled with pace and handling issues, finishing fifth after contact with Lewis Hamilton; Pérez crashed out during Q1 but recovered to seventh place.

In Belgium, Verstappen recorded fastest qualifying time but started eleventh due to a grid penalty and finished fourth following George Russell’s disqualification. Pérez began second but dropped to seventh during racing. At , Verstappen qualified second and briefly led after Norris had a poor start; however, Norris overtook on lap 18 and extended his lead comfortably over 22 seconds to claim victory as Verstappen encountered handling difficulties.

Both Red Bulls qualified seventh and eighth at . Pérez maintained eighth position during the race while Verstappen improved to sixth but finished 37 seconds behind winner Charles Leclerc.

Final stages: Defending against competitors and clinching the drivers' title

During the , Pérez secured fourth on the grid, surpassing Verstappen in qualifying for the first time this year, with Verstappen starting sixth. Pérez was in contention for a podium finish until a collision with Sainz ended both their races prematurely. Norris made an impressive charge from sixteenth position, overtaking Verstappen late in the race to claim fourth place. McLaren’s substantial points gain allowed them to overtake Red Bull in the Constructors' standings for the first time in years. At the Singapore Grand Prix, adjustments to the RB20’s setup alleviated its kerb-related difficulties, enabling Verstappen to qualify and finish second, although he trailed winner Norris by over twenty seconds; Pérez ended the race in tenth.

Following a four-week hiatus, Red Bull brought upgrades to the United States Grand Prix. Verstappen earned pole position for the sprint and secured victory there, holding off Norris and Ferrari’s drivers. Nonetheless, during the main race, Red Bull’s pace lagged behind rivals; Verstappen finished third after Norris was penalized for an off-track overtake. Pérez ended up seventh, losing ground to Russell despite Russell starting from the pit lane.

The Mexico City Grand Prix proved difficult: Verstappen encountered power unit problems during practice and received penalties that relegated him to sixth place in the race. Pérez failed to advance past Q1 and finished seventeenth following a grid penalty. Ferrari’s Sainz and Leclerc took first and third respectively, pushing Red Bull down to third in the Constructors' Championship.

At São Paulo, Verstappen incurred a five-place grid drop due to an ICE change but demonstrated strong pace throughout both the sprint and main events, ultimately winning from seventeenth on the grid—marking the RB20’s first victory since Spain. Pérez faced struggles with an early spin and concluded the race in eleventh.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix revealed RB20's deficit in straight-line speed attributed to rear wing design decisions. Verstappen qualified fifth and finished behind Hamilton, Sainz, and Leclerc but nevertheless secured the 2024 World Drivers' Championship with two races remaining. Pérez recovered from a poor start to finish tenth.

In Qatar, RB20 initially lacked competitiveness; Verstappen qualified sixth for the sprint while Pérez began from the pit lane. Subsequent setup tweaks enhanced balance for qualifying, where Verstappen initially took pole but was demoted due to a grid penalty. He led most of the race en route to his ninth victory of the season, although Pérez retired following a spin that caused clutch failure. Despite this win, Red Bull lost ground in the fight for the Constructors' title.

At Abu Dhabi, RB20 continued to struggle with balance issues; Verstappen qualified fifth but moved up to fourth on the grid after Hulkenberg received a penalty. Both drivers experienced difficult opening laps: Verstappen collided with Piastri and was handed a 10-second penalty, finishing sixth; Pérez retired after contact with Bottas. The RB20 again displayed weak race pace in the season finale.

Characteristics

While the RB20 initially held a leading position, it soon encountered stiff competition from McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes. A significant challenge has been its imbalance leading to understeer, particularly noticeable during the Hungarian and Dutch races. Additionally, the car exhibited difficulties managing kerbs, especially at the Monaco Grand Prix.

During the Hungarian event, Verstappen experienced ongoing understeer issues despite adjustments to brake bias. He later admitted that Red Bull’s speed had fallen behind McLaren's MCL38. Following the Italian Grand Prix, team principal Horner acknowledged that handling problems were a key factor in the performance drop-off, which the team has since aimed to rectify. After the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where Red Bull ceded the Constructors' Championship lead to McLaren, Horner disclosed that these difficulties stemmed from an upgrade applied to the RB19 at the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix. The development focus had been on Verstappen’s vehicle rather than addressing issues with their previously dominant 2023 chassis.

Liveries

In March 2024, Red Bull initiated REBL CUSTMS, a competition inviting fans to design the RB20’s livery. The victorious design was planned for deployment at the British, Singapore, and United States Grands Prix.

At the British Grand Prix, Red Bull unveiled the “Stallion Red” livery created by Chalaj Suvanish from Thailand. However, before the Singapore race, the team decided not to proceed with fan-designed liveries for Singapore and the United States due to concerns about increased weight.

Complete Formula One results

External links

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