Motorsport Week
  • Formula 1
    • 2025 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2025 Formula 1 Standings
  • Formula E
    • 2025 Formula E Calendar
    • 2025 Formula E Standings
  • IndyCar
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2025 WRC Standings
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
  • MotoGP
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
  • WEC
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • IMSA
    • 2025 IMSA Calendar
  • World SBK
  • More
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
  • Formula 1
    • 2025 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2025 Formula 1 Standings
  • Formula E
    • 2025 Formula E Calendar
    • 2025 Formula E Standings
  • IndyCar
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2025 WRC Standings
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
  • MotoGP
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
  • WEC
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • IMSA
    • 2025 IMSA Calendar
  • World SBK
  • More
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
Motorsport Week
Home Single Seater Formula 1

Wolff: Red Bull F1 car concept shift ‘extremely courageous’

by Dan Lawrence
2 years ago
A A
Wolff: Red Bull F1 car concept shift ‘extremely courageous’

Toto Wolff (GER) Mercedes AMG F1 Shareholder and Executive Director in the FIA Press Conference. 21.02.2024. Formula 1 Testing, Sakhir, Bahrain, Day One

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Red Bull’s shift of concept with its 2024 Formula 1 challenger, the RB20, has drawn comparisons to previous Mercedes designs and Toto Wolff has called it “an extremely courageous step.”

When the RB20 was unveiled at Red Bull’s Milton Keynes Headquarters on Thursday, February 15 and immediately turned heads thanks to its aggressive vertical inlet sidepod configuration and steep-shouldered engine cover.

Not only was it a surprise to see Red Bull make key visual changes to the dominant RB19, but also to see similarities between the RB20 and the il-fated concept cues Mercedes ditched from its W14 by the time F1 reached Monaco in 2023.

Wolff praised Red Bull for its commitment to making changes to a winning formula in the development of its new car.

RelatedPosts

Ferrari opted not to challenge Lewis Hamilton's penalty

Ferrari explains why Lewis Hamilton’s ‘harsh’ F1 Italian GP penalty was not challenged

55 minutes ago
Lando Norris has made a surprising claim about the supposed McLaren 'papaya rules'

Lando Norris makes surprising ‘papaya rules’ revelation after McLaren’s F1 Italian GP switch

3 hours ago

“An extremely courageous step,” he told Austrian broadcaster ORF.

“Because if they had proceeded conservatively, they would have developed a really good car further.

“But the data will always guide you in the development, and the data will probably have shown that what they are doing with the new car, these new developments, actually brings significantly more downforce or better handling characteristics. Because otherwise, Red Bull wouldn’t have done it.

“And they have always been innovative in recent years, they were the team that was the benchmark. And in that respect, I’m convinced that they knew what they were doing.”

Sergio Perez (MEX) Red Bull Racing RB20 – sidepod detail. 22.02.2024. Formula 1 Testing, Sakhir, Bahrain, Day Two.

The Mercedes Team Principal isn’t immune to the comparisons between the RB20 and former cars produced back in Brackley but admits that the key differentiator in terms of performance with the ground effect cars in modern F1 comes from the floor.

In this regard, Wolff doesn’t believe Red Bull has made as radical a shift.

“Well, there are a few things that they have adopted from our car,” he said.

“Not just the zero sidepod, but of course we also had this bodywork engine cover, which we called ‘The Great Wall’, which they have adopted.

“It’s not marvellous aesthetically, but it makes sense.

“But the real performance takes place on the underfloor. These are ground-effect cars, where it’s also about the downforce and the mechanical handling characteristics.

“And that’s where they’ve been very strong in recent years, and there will probably have been a further development, but not such a radical change of concept as you can see at first glance with the bodywork.”

With the Mercedes W15, the Brackley-based squad has gone in what some may call a more ‘traditional’ direction in terms of car development and it is a radically redeveloped machine compared to its predecessors.

Wolff was asked to give his take on switching to a conventional platform amid Red Bull’s radical car concept shift during pre-season testing last week.

“We have gone back from our zeropod concept and some other features, because we felt it didn’t help the car’s performance,” he said.

“And that’s why we’ve gone, what looks at first slightly more conventional from the bodywork, but we believe it is a better platform.”

Tags: BahrainGPF1MercedesRedBullWolff
Share201Tweet126Share

Related Posts

Ferrari opted not to challenge Lewis Hamilton's penalty
Formula 1

Ferrari explains why Lewis Hamilton’s ‘harsh’ F1 Italian GP penalty was not challenged

55 minutes ago
Lando Norris has made a surprising claim about the supposed McLaren 'papaya rules'
Formula 1

Lando Norris makes surprising ‘papaya rules’ revelation after McLaren’s F1 Italian GP switch

3 hours ago
Alpine is yet to decide on who will complete its 2026 F1 line up
Formula 1

Flavio Briatore reveals when Alpine will decide 2026 F1 line-up

4 hours ago
Load More

Discussion about this post

Upcoming Races

#EventDate
17Azerbaijan GP19-21 September
18Singapore GP03-05 October
19United States GP17-19 October
20Mexico City GP24-26 October
21São Paulo GP07-09 November

Click here for the full 2025 F1 calendar

Drivers’  Standings

#DriverPts
Oscar Piastri324
Lando Norris293
Max Verstappen230
George Russell194
Charles Leclerc163
Lewis Hamilton117
Alexander Albon70
Andrea Kimi Antonelli66
Isack Hadjar38
Nico Hulkenberg37

Click here for full Drivers’ Standings

Latest Articles

Ferrari opted not to challenge Lewis Hamilton's penalty
Formula 1

Ferrari explains why Lewis Hamilton’s ‘harsh’ F1 Italian GP penalty was not challenged

September 10, 2025
Lando Norris has made a surprising claim about the supposed McLaren 'papaya rules'
Formula 1

Lando Norris makes surprising ‘papaya rules’ revelation after McLaren’s F1 Italian GP switch

September 10, 2025
Alpine is yet to decide on who will complete its 2026 F1 line up
Formula 1

Flavio Briatore reveals when Alpine will decide 2026 F1 line-up

September 10, 2025

Follow Motorsport Week

Join our daily motorsport newsletter

* indicates required

Motorsport Week

© 2024 Motorsport Media Services Ltd

Other Links

  • About & Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Motorsport Monday

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Home
  • Formula 1
    • Latest News
    • 2025 F1 Calendar
    • 2025 F1 Championship Standings
  • Formula E
    • Latest News
    • 2025 FE Calendar
    • 2025 FE Championship Standings
  • MotoGP
    • Latest News
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
  • WRC
    • Latest News
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
    • 2025 WRC Standings
  • IndyCar
    • Latest News
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WEC
    • Latest News
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • Live Updates
  • Other
    • IMSA
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
  • Galleries
  • About/Contact
  • Privacy Policy

© 2024 Motorsport Media Services Ltd