Formula 1 News: Red Bull Conducts Private Test with Max Verstappen to Compare Current Car with 2022 Champion
As the 2023 Formula 1 season approaches its midpoint, Red Bull Racing has been working tirelessly to maintain its competitive edge. In a bid to understand the strengths and weaknesses of its current car, the Austrian outfit conducted a private test with Max Verstappen at Imola, where the Dutch driver got behind the wheel of his title-winning 2022 Red Bull RB18.
This test was designed to provide Verstappen with a reference point to compare the current RB20 with its predecessor, allowing the team to gather valuable feedback on the car’s performance. Red Bull Chief Engineer Paul Monaghan explained, “We really try to give Max a reference from a previous car. When you’re trying to assess the strengths and weaknesses of a current car, his reference is the current car and you might say, ‘oh well in previous years we’ve had this, we’ve had that’.“
The test aimed to give Verstappen a fresh perspective, enabling him to provide more accurate feedback on the current car’s performance. Monaghan added, “His feedback won’t change as such, we just give him a different reference. The strengths and weaknesses of the cars are how we perceive it, we can obviously judge relative to our opposition.“
As the team heads into the intense summer stretch, with five races scheduled in the next six weeks, Red Bull has introduced five updates to the RB20, including a revised sidepod inlet, which is expected to perform well across various circuits. Monaghan confirmed, “No, similar magnitude. He’s getting a slightly larger carve up on the car, so at the moment we’re asymptoting with this one and then the same dilemma applies to [20]25.“
With the upcoming races featuring a mix of high-speed, aerodynamic-sensitive tracks and low-speed corners, Monaghan is confident that Red Bull is well-placed to be competitive, provided the team maximizes its opportunities. “We’ll find out on Sunday won’t we, but yeah a normal track, so this place relatively high speed, aerodynamic sensitivity, then we go a thousand metres above sea level, three straights, three low speed, three high speed corners or quickish corners and then with Silverstone where large chunks of it are flat out.“
As the Formula 1 schedule unfolds, with the Spanish Grand Prix just around the corner, Red Bull’s focus remains on maintaining its position at the top of the Formula 1 standings. Stay tuned for the latest Formula 1 news and updates as the season heats up.
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