F1 News: Toto Wolff Addresses Red Bull Design As Mercedes Similarities Revealed
Amidst the unveiling of Red Bull’s RB20, featuring design cues reminiscent of Mercedes’ recent cars, Toto Wolff shares insights on Formula 1’s diverse development paths.
Key Takeaways:
- Toto Wolff emphasizes the importance of individual development paths in Formula 1, reflecting on the diverse strategies teams employ.
- The RB20’s design, featuring similarities to Mercedes vehicles, including sidepod inlets and gulleys, sparks debates on design philosophy convergence.
- Red Bull’s bold move to a new design concept with the RB20, diverging from its RB19 predecessor, showcases the team’s innovative approach to the 2024 season.
The Formula 1 community is currently engaged in a whirlwind of speculation and analysis after Red Bull took the wraps off their RB20. This car not only signifies a departure from its RB19 forerunner but also seems to share design cues with Mercedes’ recent W14.
This morning in Bahrain at pre-season testing, we were able to get a closer look at the sidepods of the Milton Keynes machinery. It features three sets of inlets: vertical inlets much like the zero-pod design on the W13 and W14, narrow horizontal inlets at the front of the overbite sidepod, and innovative ‘rabbit ear’ intakes behind the halo.
Amidst this backdrop, Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ Team Principal, has offered his insights, underscoring the value of pursuing a unique developmental trajectory in the competitive realm of Formula 1.
In a candid dialogue with Auto Motor und Sport during the Bahrain pre-season testing, Wolff articulated his views:
“Every team follows its own development direction. And the one that you think works, sets.
“We’ve moved away from our zero pod concept and switched to a more conservative sidepod solution because we think it’s the better way for us.”
Red Bull driver Sergio Perez has expressed his confidence in the new RB20 design, citing a positive experience during a wet shakedown run at Silverstone:
“It was a very positive day, aside from the weather, which was bad but the RB20 still feels good, you can still feel a good car in the wet. The concept of the car is quite a bit different for 2024, and I think there are going to be a few big talking points.
“I believe the team have had a pretty good winter, but it is all relevant until we see what everyone else has done this week. I am looking forward to getting out on track now in Bahrain, to prepare properly for the season ahead, I just want to enjoy it, give my best and take every opportunity in 2024.”
