Outgoing Red Bull designer Adrian Newey has expressed slight dissatisfaction with one element of the team’s RB20 Formula 1 car, despite a dominant start to 2024.
Red Bull has been the pre-eminent force since F1 reverted to ground effect aero in 2022, with the side having won all but three races since the beginning of last term.
But Red Bull has endured two defeats in the opening six races this season – including last weekend’s Miami Grand Prix – compared to one in the entire 2023 campaign.
The Austrian outfit produced a shock over the winter when it unveiled a car that comprised several striking modifications from the team’s all-conquering predecessor.
However, Newey, who will depart from his role in the first quarter of 2025, has conceded that there is a single feature that he is not content with on the Red Bull RB20.
Asked whether there was still time to be unlocked with the current regulations, Newey told Sky Sports F1: “Yeah, I mean, there’s always room for improvement.
“This car is the third evolution of the ’22 car under this rule set. We’ve got one more year next year before the huge change of ’26. So we’re always searching for little bits and pieces.
“The fundamental architecture of the car has remained the same, but I mean, for instance, there’s one feature on the car that I’m not terribly happy with this year, and that’s something which will either change later in the year, or probably more likely, will be re-altered for next year.”
Despite Newey’s mild disappointment, Red Bull retains a comfortable 52-point margin over Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship, having won four of the six races.
However, Red Bull will be mindful about McLaren’s rise, as the Woking-based squad delivered a sizeable upgrade package to Miami that inspired Lando Norris’ triumph.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner admitted McLaren was strong at the Miami International Autodrome, but queried whether its pace would translate to other circuits.
“It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few races now once we head back to Europe,” Horner said.
“McLaren showed real pace last year at certain times, so how circuit-specific is it?
“We’ll see as we go through the next few races, but they’ve been very strong this weekend and Lando deserves the win.”
Ferrari sandwiches the pair in the standings and the Italian outfit is scheduled to introduce substantial updates – tested at its Fiorano test track – at Imola next weekend.
