Newey Reveals Insights on Red Bull’s Japan Upgrades and RB20 Developments
Red Bull Racing Technical Director Adrian Newey shared valuable insights on the team’s latest Japanese Grand Prix updates, as well as developments on Red Bull’s RB20 car.After Red Bull’s third one-two finish of the year at the Japanese GP, with Max Verstappen leading the way, followed by Sergio Perez, Newey insisted the upgrades had led to a “slight improvement” in the team’s performance. He also expressed his belief that even without these innovations, Red Bull would have done well at Suzuka.
The closest non-Red Bull driver was Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who finished third, more than 20 seconds off the leader. This impressive performance by Red Bull dates back to the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with the team having won just two races since then – Singapore 2023 and Australia 2024.Newey explained that the team’s upgrades delivered what they promised in terms of performance, but stressed that it was only a small improvement. He attributed Red Bull’s success to the hard work and dedication of the engineering team, which continues to drive the team’s success.
As for Red Bull’s RB20 car, Newey emphasized that it represents a more extreme version of the car introduced at the start of the current technical regulations. He praised Red Bull’s engineering team and highlighted their creativity and dedication, which has resulted in the car’s architecture remaining much the same from 2022.Red Bull’s more aggressive approach to the RB20 at launch surprised many as competitors took different paths.
Newey attributed this to the dedication and creativity of Red Bull’s engineering team, who developed a more extreme car based on the same aerodynamic philosophy that will be used from 2022.
As Red Bull’s exceptional performance continues to impress, it is clear that the team is determined to maintain its leadership in the category and continue to look for improvements, even despite its dominant position in the championship.
The team’s aggressive approach and commitment to innovation promises to continue to bear fruit in the upcoming races of the season.