The Red Bull Formula 1 team has unveiled the RB20 – its 2024 season challenger that they hope will keep him on top of both championships.
The Milton Keynes-based squad dominated the 2023 season, claiming both the Drivers’ championship with Max Verstappen and the Constructors’ championship with the help of Sergio Pérez.
Now, Red Bull hopes to keep up their performances from last year as rival teams update their machineries to try and challenge their domination.
The launch happened as team principal Christian Horner is investigated for allegations of “inappropriate behavior.” BBC Sport had reported Horner “won’t survive” the probe, and Motorsport-Total said he was informally asked to resign, but resisted.
The RB20 had already leaked on social media days before the launch, as it was spotted during its shakedown at Silverstone.
Images from the official unveiling event were also leaked on Thursday afternoon.
A season difficult to top
When asked if he could top his ‘almost perfect’ 2023 season, Verstappen said that “these kinds of things are difficult to top.”
“I think it’s not our goal [to top it],“ he said. “We want to deliver another competitive car and from my side, I’ll try to deliver the best I can.
“That, of course, depends on a lot of things that need to come together so only time will tell how quick we are and of course, other teams are learning more and more. It’s up to us how great the season is going to be.”
Red Bull won 21 out of the 22 Grands Prix last season, only missing out in Singapore where Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz claimed victory.
Of those, Verstappen won 19, and his teammate Pérez two.
The Dutchman’s comments were mirrored by his team boss Horner, who told the media that to “set a target for [race victories] is very difficult.”
“I mean, we achieved [21 out of 22] last year. Singapore got away from us, so technically, we can improve,” he joked.
Horner added that Red Bull expects the rest of the grid to converge, and that he’s seen some teams take inspiration from the RB19 when designing their new cars. However, he was cautious, and said they will “only see when we get on track what the pecking order is for the season.”
