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FIRST LOOK: Red Bull unveil their new RB20 car ahead of the 2024 season
Red Bull have become the 10th and final team to unveil their car for the 2024 F1 season.
Ahead of their title defence in the year ahead, the RB20 was revealed to the world at the squad’s Milton Keynes base on Thursday, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez amongst the team members on hand as their new challenger was revealed.
GALLERY: Check out every angle of Red Bull's new F1 car, the RB20
There are no surprises in terms of the livery, with the car continuing to carry the outfit’s traditional navy blue colour scheme. And while the team have opted for a more aggressive concept, they will also be hoping for no big changes in regards to their car’s level of performance.
Its predecessor, the RB19, enjoyed unprecedented levels of success in 2023, netting victory in all but one of the 22 Grands Prix to take place during the season. Verstappen bagged 19 of those 22 wins as he sealed his third drivers’ title in Qatar with several races to spare.
The Dutchman ended the campaign with a 290-point advantage over second-placed Perez. While this marked the first time in Red Bull’s history that their drivers have finished the championship in a one-two order, Perez will be hoping for a stronger year in 2024.
In the constructors’ championship, Red Bull racked up a staggering 451 more points than nearest challengers Mercedes. But with the battle amongst their rivals growing increasingly close last year – given that the Silver Arrows only narrowly held off Ferrari, while McLaren and Aston Martin were also in the fight – the world champions will not rest on their laurels.
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On the appearance of the RB20, Verstappen said at the launch: “It does look a bit different. I think the team definitely pushed on quite a bit from last year and I think that’s very positive.
“I’m just looking forward to get to Bahrain, start testing and really see what the car is capable of.”
Verstappen was given his first chance to get behind the wheel when the team held a shakedown at Silverstone this week, before all 10 teams head out to Bahrain for pre-season testing on February 21-23.
“Unfortunately it was quite wet so you’re only driving on rain tyres, but everything was working very well and I think that’s always great,” the 26-year-old explained. “You drive out of the box and there are no problems and you just do what you have to do before you get to Bahrain.”
READ MORE: Verstappen singles out 'crazy' race in 2023 that ‘could have gone so wrong’
Perez also gave his reaction to the new car and praised the squad for exploring a new concept in 2024, despite their success in the previous year.
“You can see that the team has done an incredible job,” the Mexican commented. “We’ve gone very aggressive with the concept, so I’m looking forward to it.
“I find it great from Red Bull that we’ve had such a dominant car last year, that we just changed completely our concept. It’s something that I think requires a lot of hunger in the team, to keep pushing all the boundaries. [It] will be interesting to see how everything feels on track.”
After pre-season testing is complete, the 2024 season will kick off at the Bahrain International Circuit on February 29-March 2.
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