Adrian Newey: RB20 is similar to previous models

In 2024, the next Red Bull Racing car, created under the leadership of Adrian Newey, again attracts general attention, and some of the unusual solutions embodied in it are clearly visible from the outside.

Newey, head of the technical department of the championship team, spoke in an interview with RacingNews365 about the process of working on his new brainchild, and he assures that the enviable speed of the RB20 is not at all due to original developments, as the Het fundamental concept of the chassis remains the same.

“Because the external differences are so big, people talk about it, but the truth is that the basic architecture of the car, the front and rear suspension, are all the third evolution of the RB18, our 2022 car, and in fact the RB20. very similar,” he, a noted racing designer, said. – Of course, there are external differences, especially in the area around the radiators, and this cooling system configuration pays off.

But this is the case when noticeable external differences provide a modest increase in efficiency. But the changes also affected the underside of the car, and of course no one sees that…

Looking back to 2022, our rivalry with Ferrari in the first half of the season was very intense. We probably went into the RB18’s aerodynamics, especially the detailing, later than some of our competitors because we focused on the core chassis architecture first.

We were especially behind Ferrari as they effectively ended the 2021 season in Maranello to create a car for the next championship. But we struggled with Mercedes all year and we had to distribute resources differently. We managed to develop the basic layout solutions well, but at the beginning of the season we were a bit behind in terms of aerodynamics.

But this meant that we could potentially modernize the chassis more intensively and by mid-season we started to better exploit its potential. Of course we had a very good second half of the championship after that.

Last year’s car was a more advanced version of the RB18, but if you’re on tight budgets and start the season with a reasonably efficient car then it’s easier to upgrade. And if you are unlucky enough to start with a chassis based on a flawed concept, current budget constraints will make it difficult for you to catch up.”

In 2024, Max Verstappen won three of the four races that had already taken place, only retiring in Australia due to technical problems. It is worth adding that Red Bull Racing drivers in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Japan achieved double victories for their team, and this clearly indicates the speed superiority of the RB20.