Credits: Imago

When Red Bull fielded the RB20 in pre-season, fans couldn’t help but notice some stark differences from its predecessors. Many questioned their choice to scrap a title-winning design completely, in favor of making something brand new. Helmut Marko, however, feels that this approach was taken to help Max Verstappen win his fourth world title.

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Verstappen dominated F1 in 2022 and 2023, with many expecting the Red Bull driver to continue doing so. While that is still the outright prediction, other teams are reported to have closed the gap to them somewhat. This is what prompted the Milton-Keynes-based outfit to take a different approach.

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Marko said, as quoted by F1 Maximaal, “If we had only brought an evolution of last year’s car, there would have been a great risk that someone would discover something beyond normal development. That is why we have chosen the more radical path.”

Teams like McLaren and Ferrari already had major developments in the latter half of the 2023 season. In some races, they even gave the Red Bull drivers a run for their money. This could be a more regular feature from 2024 onwards, but Marko’s comments suggest that the team has things under control.

Max Verstappen won’t dominate like 2023

In 2023, Verstappen won 19 out of 22 races, in a season that was classified as ‘boring’ by many. If Marko’s words are taken into consideration, the same won’t happen this time around. Several teams in the paddock are reported to have made big strides, and Marko thinks the competition will be tighter.

One person Marko singled out was Charles Leclerc. Qualifying is a strength for the Monegasque driver, and in 2024, Marko feels that Ferrari will be equal to Red Bull in singe-lap pace. This could make life very difficult for Verstappen, who often finished close to a second quicker than others in 2023.

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If Leclerc and Co. do make the necessary jump, the title battle could turn out to be interesting after all. Ferrari, however, won’t be the only team to watch out for. McLaren is also on the periphery of establishing itself as a top team, and with the talented lineup of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, they have a bright future ahead.