Max Verstappen only failed to win three of 22 Grands Prix in the 2023 Formula 1 season. Can this already excellent record be surpassed in the 2024 season? When presenting the new Red Bull RB20, Verstappen is reserved: “That will probably be very difficult. But that’s not our goal at all.”
So what have Red Bull and Verstappen planned for the year after the record year? Verstappen goes deep when he says: “The goal is to have another very competitive car, and I’m trying to do my best from my side. But for that to happen, a lot of different things have to come together.”
One factor is of course how well the other teams are positioned. “The people around us are learning more and more,” says Verstappen.
According to Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, this can be seen in the Formula 1 cars of Red Bull’s opponents that have been presented so far: “We can see that other cars have been inspired by the RB19. We therefore expect the performance of the Teams are somewhat aligned.” But that is “logical” under largely stable technical regulations.
That’s why Verstappen says it’s “not just up to Red Bull” how good a season will be. “Because when you have more natural competition from other teams, it’s even more difficult to win races.”
Horner is full of praise for the staff at Red Bull
Horner is already convinced of the new RB20, even though the car has only had a shakedown in Silverstone so far. However, he could say that his team did a “wonderful job” because they “didn’t rest on their laurels” but instead “pushed the limits” with the RB20.
But Horner doesn’t say what that means in concrete terms. He also refrains from saying what Red Bull can achieve in 2024.
Just this much: “Setting ourselves the goal of winning all races is very difficult, even if we could theoretically improve again. But we will only see what the relative pecking order looks like at the start of the season when we get to the racetrack .”
How Verstappen experienced the shakedown
Because at least from a driving perspective, Verstappen has only gained limited impressions of the RB20 so far. During the shakedown, “everything was fine,” but nothing more.
“It was literally just film day,” explains the three-time Formula 1 world champion. “It’s just a matter of making sure that once the car is put together everything works, because that’s basically how the car becomes [zum Wintertest und zum Saisonauftakt] sent to Bahrain. And that’s where it really begins, you learn more about the car, put together the right plan and run many different programs.”
Simulator? Verstappen wants the real impression first
Verstappen is then asked whether he had at least already learned more about the car in the simulator. He says no: “Actually, I haven’t driven the entire car yet, so I’ve driven all of them [neuen] Share, because you are constantly working on the development parts. So I have to do that a little more intensively first.”
On the other hand, he would much prefer to “drive the car in real life first in order to get more precise feedback [die Arbeit im] “To be able to give a simulator,” says Verstappen. Addendum: “But so far everyone has been satisfied with the simulator rides.”