Red Bull’s F1 Upgrade Woes: Anthony Davidson Explains the Complex Struggles Behind the RB20’s Development in 2024

Understanding Red Bull's F1 Upgrade Challenges: 'Reaching the Peak Quickly is Crucial'

What has caused Red Bull to face difficulties in improving the RB20 this season? Anthony Davidson sheds light on why certain teams are finding it tougher than ever to enhance their vehicles.

Sky Sports F1 analyst Anthony Davidson has explained why teams like Red Bull have been having difficulties improving their performance in the 2024 season.

Several teams have faced difficulties in improving their cars with the latest upgrade packages.

Red Bull has fallen behind McLaren in the rankings, and Ferrari's modifications for the Spanish Grand Prix led to unexpected issues, including bouncing in fast corners.

McLaren stands out as the sole team that has successfully enhanced their car's performance without compromising its handling. This was evident when Lando Norris triumphed in the recent Zandvoort race, narrowing Max Verstappen’s lead to 70 points.

During the most recent Sky F1 podcast, Davidson discussed the challenges teams face in advancing their car designs.

He explained that the process of gradually introducing updates can disrupt the balance of the car. For example, if you bring in a new front wing, a new rear wing, and also make changes to the floor, then add a suspension modification to improve performance in both slow and high-speed scenarios, it can throw everything off.

"Adding extra weight to the car makes it incredibly difficult to control. From the driver’s perspective, it either fails to turn when needed or oversteers unexpectedly."

"The engineers are puzzled. According to previous regulations, more downforce should result in faster lap times, which would please the drivers. However, this is no longer the case."

Following their overwhelming success in 2023, where they clinched victory in 21 out of 22 races, Red Bull decided to implement a more assertive design strategy for this year's RB20 to maintain their leading position.

At the beginning of the racing season, Red Bull appeared to have made a brilliant move, with Max Verstappen securing victory in five out of the first seven races.

In the most recent series of races, Red Bull has failed to secure a victory in any of the past five events.

Davidson mentioned the instance of Red Bull's affiliated team, VCARB, and their choice to discard their "brand-new enhancement".

"If you're striving for better results because other teams are closing in, you might take bolder, more aggressive steps with your strategies," he mentioned.

"That's the point where issues can arise. This is the reason why we frequently hear reports about someone introducing new updates over the weekend, only to find out two weekends later that they've gone back to using their previous car. It's a story I've come across numerous times."

"We got word from RB, the most recent team facing this issue, that they used their older car model in Zandvoort. Their new upgrade? It failed in Budapest and wasn't present in Spa, nor is it being used currently. The reason remains unclear."

"You ascend to the pinnacle of these cars regarding the development competition. You inevitably reach a peak where there is minimal flexibility remaining. I believe we're approaching that stage. We're reaching that stage. They are making incremental improvements."

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