As has been the case for some years now, this season too the teams had only three days of testing available to get to know the car thoroughly and fine-tune it in view of the start of the championship which will start next week, again in Bahrain. With a total of 24 hours, which must then be split between the two drivers, being able to quickly understand the characteristics of the single-seater and find the right feeling behind the wheel is essential both for the engineers and for those who get into the cockpit.
A statement that applies to many teams this year, including Red Bull, which has decided to revolutionize the RB20 in various aspects. While their rivals have gone in the imposed direction that takes ideas from the RB19, also trying to take some concepts to the extreme, the Milton Keynes team has attempted to change its identity, given the awareness of not being able to rest on its laurels.
Even the opponents were impressed by the choices made by the staff led by Adrian Newey and Pierre Waché, also born from the possibility of concentrating for a long time on the RB20 given the large advantage accumulated since the beginning of 2023. The new car is not only striking for its external shapes, but also for what is under the bonnet, such as a significantly revised cooling system compared to previous years.
It is no coincidence that this year the team spent a lot of time studying the new single-seater not only through aerodynamic measurements using paint and rakes, but also with in-depth and targeted tests to understand particular details of the car. However, just like last season, even on the eve of this world championship the RB20 presented itself as the reference car for the rest of the group, an aspect that its opponents did not hide.
Being able to untangle the data from these tests is not particularly simple, also because compared to the past many teams have concentrated on specific programs, especially considering that the tires were already known, having remained unchanged compared to last season. The fundamental references were therefore already known and this allowed us to remove an unknown from the equation to focus on other themes.
At the end of the three days of testing, Max Verstappen remained tight-lipped about the potential of the new car, but the feeling is that the Dutchman found himself more at ease from day one: “We decided not to focus on the times, we only wanted to do long runs and have a broader understanding of the car. We focused on that program. I think, overall, I think everything looks positive, I'm quite happy with the car and its handling. Going into the race weekend, it's about making adjustments in reference to the circumstances you may find during the weekend,” said the three-time world champion.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
The Dutchman allowed himself only three attempts with little fuel on board, around three hours before the end of the Friday afternoon session, shortly before Ferrari began to carry out his runs on the C4, a compound that Verstappen did not exploit. However, it is interesting to note that only in the last attempt on the C3 did the Red Bull driver really start to push in some specific areas of the track, such as in turn 1, where he chose to use a lower gear, or in the change of direction 6/7, where he significantly improved his references compared to the other two runs completed on the same compound.
Beyond these attempts, which are nevertheless useful for understanding the behavior of the car with less fuel on board in view of the race weekend, in fact all the Dutchman's work was concentrated more on medium-length stints and long runs, without however carrying out a complete simulation version. Both in the morning and in the afternoon of the first day, the three-time world champion followed a constant programme: two push laps interspersed with a passage to let the tires cool down, which was then followed by a passage in the pit lane and a run of at least seven laps.
A program repeated eight times: twice with the C1, at the beginning of the afternoon session, six with the C3, a softer compound on which many teams have concentrated, given that it will be present in all stages of the championship.
 3.34pm – C1 |
4.23pm – C1 |
5pm – C3 |
5.49pm – C3 |
6.32pm – C3 |
| 34.18 | 33.45 | 31,662 | 31,922 | 31,334 |
| 2:19.236 | 2:26.951 | 2:31.700 | 2:29.732 | 2:20.586 |
| 34,181 | 33,871 | 2:26.609 | 2:27.355 | 2:19.475 |
| in (pit lane passage) | in (pit lane passage) | 32,805 | 32,179 | in (pit lane passage) |
| out (back on track) | out (back on track) | in (pit lane passage) | in (pit lane passage) | out (back on track) |
| 36,161 | 36,137 | out (back on track) | out (back on track) | 34,308 |
| 36,585 | 35,696 | 34,975 | 34,764 | 34,059 |
| 36.39 | 35,612 | 35,247 | 34,901 | 34,203 |
| 36,193 | 35,865 | 35,332 | 34,725 | 34,225 |
| 36,742 | 35,614 | 35,489 | 34,766 | 34,322 |
| 36.33 | 35,366 | 36,093 | 36,584 | 34,377 |
| 35,169 | 35,414 | 34,882 | 34,423 | |
| 35.46 |
Clearly, in addition to differences in terms of setup, tests were also carried out with different fuel loads, but it can be appreciated that even in the runs with the softest compound no signs of degradation were ever found. Observing the data, it also emerges how Red Bull tried to compare different solutions in terms of tire saving at specific points on the track, in order to verify how different managements could influence the life of the tyres.
Initially the Dutchman was supposed to return to the track in the afternoon of the second day, as in 2023, but the red flag and the related decision to extend the session changed the plans. Verstappen then returned to the wheel of the RB20 on Friday, with a program split between tests with low fuel loads and long-distance tests, but without carrying out a real race simulation.
The most significant run is undoubtedly the one on the C3, the first, when the asphalt temperature was around thirty degrees. It is undoubtedly difficult to know how many kilos of petrol Verstappen started his stint with, but it is worth highlighting how compared to other teams, such as Ferrari, which with Charles Leclerc started its race simulation about half an hour later but with the same compound, the Red Bull driver did not do a real attack lap, opting for a much more linear introduction of the tires. It is no coincidence that his times, however, are extremely constant, even on a compound where his rivals have encountered greater difficulties.
| 2.58pm – C3 |
3.40pm – C1 |
4.27pm – C2 |
| 37,752 | 37,559 | 37,109 |
| 37,575 | 37,446 | 37.03 |
| 37,422 | 37.43 | 36,915 |
| 37,285 | 37,207 | 36,896 |
| 37,172 | 37,284 | 36,861 |
| 37,177 | 37,176 | 36,683 |
| 37,221 | 37,178 | 36,669 |
| 37.16 | 37,049 | 36.84 |
| 37.13 | 36,934 | 36,799 |
| 37,058 | 36,822 | 36,806 |
| 37,124 | 37,001 | 36,883 |
| 37,208 | 36,805 | 37,196 |
| 37,205 | 36,901 | 37,134 |
| 37,233 | 37,013 | 37,381 |
| 37,116 | 47,668 | 37,039 |
Furthermore, it is interesting to point out that although the RB20 had lower top speeds than the SF-24 due to a less powerful mapping, thus losing several cents on the straights, on the other hand Verstappen was able to allow himself less saving in fast corners like the 12, or what was one of the great strengths of the RB19 compared to the competition. The other two stints also proved to be very positive from a consumption point of view, especially the one on the C2.
If Verstappen had the opportunity to test the car more thoroughly before starting to work on long runs, the situation is different for Sergio Perez, whose three days of testing were more troubled. For example, his first hours on the track were dedicated above all to aerodynamic measurements and set-up tests, even if the program was delayed by the red flag and an overheating problem with the brakes which forced him to remain in the pits for about half an hour. 'Now. During the tests, Red Bull evaluated different solutions, alternating the Brembo carbon discs with the usual ones from Carbon Industrie.
Looking at the program for the morning of the second day, you can see how the Mexican made six runs with the same program, i.e. exit lap followed by a hard lap, but without finishing it, but returning directly to the pits. It is clear that in these tests Red Bull was concentrating above all on set-up tests, especially in terms of ground clearance, but such a plan clearly breaks the rhythm and does not give us the opportunity to lap with greater continuity.
 First stint (C3) |
Second stint (C2) |
Third stint (C1) |
| out/in | 37,967 | 37,305 |
| out (back on track) | 37,759 | 37,513 |
| 37,864 | 37,637 | 37,259 |
| 38.012 | 38,168 | 37,047 |
| 37,845 | 38.09 | 37,144 |
| 38.15 | 38,161 | 37,036 |
| 38,393 | 38,457 | 37,125 |
| 38,644 | 38,522 | 37,318 |
| 38,668 | 38,515 | 37,269 |
| 39,798 | 38,376 | 37,232 |
| 38,888 | 38,366 | 37,109 |
| 38,986 | 38,601 | 36,908 |
| 39,293 | 39,096 | 36,694 |
| 39,147 | 39,166 | 36.82 |
| 39,755 | 38,601 | 36,881 |
| 38,528 | 36,971 | |
| 38.98 | 37,127 | |
| 39,245 | 37,436 | |
| 37,139 | ||
| 36,944 | ||
| 37,425 |
Only in the afternoon did Perez move on to the long-distance program, directly carrying out a race simulation but with not exactly exciting references, especially when compared with the long runs done by Ferrari three hours later with Sainz, when however the track was about ten degrees cooler. The only reference is the long stint done by Leclerc again on the C3 in the same moments of the early afternoon when the asphalt was close to 40°C: the Monegasque also showed accentuated consumption, with Red Bull which, however, proved to be more competitive in sections such as turn twelve.
However, going back twelve months, even the first simulation of the Guadalajara pilot had not proved surprising from the point of view of degradation.
On the eve of the world championship, the Milton Keynes team once again seems to be the car to beat, although it will be interesting to understand certain characteristics. Red Bull concentrated above all on long stints and set-up tests, presumably leaving the performance runs for the race weekend: last year their opponents were able to stay closer in qualifying, and then move away in the race, where the RB19 managed to make the difference with its great flexibility. One of the big issues will be precisely that of understanding in which direction the world champion team will go, which has also promised updates to arrive after the first stages of the world championship.
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