Red Bull will head into the 2020 Formula 1 season with no excuses according to team advisor Helmut Marko, who revealed they are ahead of schedule with the RB16.
Red Bull had a lacklustre season, failing to challenge Mercedes in the opening part of the season before finally scoring its first win at round nine, the Austrian Grand Prix, adding a further two victories in Germany and Brazil.
Marko admits it took them longer than usual to get on top of the RB15 and that, along with Mercedes' strong form and first-lap contact for Max Verstappen in Mexico, cost them additional wins, having originally targeted five – one more than they scored in 2017 with Renault power.
"Normally we are at least competitive in Spain, but this year it took longer," Marko told the Red Bull-owned Servus TV.
"The fact we only won three [races] cost me a few bets. We had the potential for five, if not six wins."
Driver Max Verstappen has repeatedly said that for Red Bull to challenge Mercedes and Ferrari, they need a strong start to the season and Marko says this year they have no excuses not to deliver exactly that after revealing they are two weeks ahead of schedule.
"We don't have any excuses for next year," he added. "For the first time we are 14 days ahead of our normal schedule.
"We're going into the new year better than ever and with a great concept. Now we finally have to deliver."
The 2020 season marks the final year of the current regulations ahead of 2021, when huge sporting and technical changes will – hopefully – shake things up.
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