Red Bull has unveiled its latest model, the RB20, bringing the curtain down on the inaugural 2024 F1 season.
It will be extremely difficult to follow in the footsteps of the overwhelmingly powerful RB19, which won 21 of 22 Grand Prix races, but that is the task that the RB20 must fulfill.
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez remained behind the wheel, staring at their shiny new car as Red Bull took the covers off the RB20 at its home base in Milton Keynes.
Red Bull RB20 world premiere
Verstappen hopes to match Sebastian Vettel's feat of winning four consecutive world championships from 2010 to 2013 and become a challenger to Red Bull's history.
However, he admitted that “only time will tell” if the RB20 can do that, adding that he will be fully focused on the Bahrain test from February 21 to 23 so he can begin the process of getting used to his new weapon.
“I’m excited. It’s always such a pleasure to see a new car come to life and see how it’s built by all the people around it, and even when it comes to fitting the seats. Same thing,” Verstappen told media outlets including PlanetF1.com's Thomas Maher. At the RB20 presentation.
“For me at the moment I'm just looking forward to Bahrain, getting tested, getting used to the car, understanding what I need to do and working from there.
“The season is very long so we just have to start off as good as we can and try to really understand the car and we'll see where we end up.”
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With Mercedes and Ferrari back to the drawing board hoping to close the gap on Red Bull ahead of F1 in 2024, the challengers they will have to face are clear.
But rivals will be keeping an eye on Perez's predictions, as he believes the team has taken its already nearly unstoppable RB19 forward.
“I'm really happy that the whole team put together a great concept,” Perez said.
“Now we want to get on the track properly at the Bahrain test and we'll know where we are in the first few races.
“But we believe we have taken good steps in the right direction, so it should be another great season for the team.”
Perez, who felt like he was far from cohesive with RB19 as the 2023 season progressed, will be hoping for more sustained form with RB20.
The Mexican racer started last season with two wins in the opening four races, but from there on there was a surprising decline, with Verstappen retaining the drivers' title with more than twice as many points as Perez.
And Perez will know that a repeat of his struggles in 2023 could put him under enormous pressure to keep his seat at Red Bull as he enters the final year of his current contract.
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