Red Bull was the last of the ten F1 teams to introduce their 2024 F1 car at an event on Thursday evening. Despite ongoing inquiries into alleged “inappropriate behaviour,” team principal Christian Horner attended the launch.
As the reigning champions with 21 victories in 22 races last season, the team launched the RB20, featuring appearances by Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez.
The car’s unveiling was broadcast live at 7:30 pm, followed by interviews with the drivers and Horner 30 minutes later. It came off the back of arch-rivals Mercedes revealing their W15 car the previous day, marking the first public appearance of Lewis Hamilton since the announcement of his move to Ferrari for 2025.
The car maintains its iconic navy blue colour scheme, reflecting the team’s longstanding visual identity. Although the team has embraced a bolder design approach this year, their aspirations for the car’s performance remain consistent, aiming for stability and success.
The RB19 set an exceptional benchmark in 2023, dominating the Formula 1 season with victories in 21 out of 22 races. Verstappen was the standout performer, securing 19 wins and clinching his third world championship title in Qatar well before the season’s conclusion.
Verstappen concluded the season with an impressive 290-point lead over his teammate Perez, marking the first occasion Red Bull achieved a one-two finish in the drivers’ championship. Despite this, Perez is looking to make a stronger impact in 2024.
In the constructors’ standings, Red Bull achieved a monumental lead of 451 points over their closest competitor, Mercedes. Despite their dominance, the competitive landscape remains tight, with Mercedes barely edging out Ferrari last year, and both McLaren and Aston Martin closely contesting, indicating that the reigning champions cannot afford complacency.
Regarding the RB20’s debut, Verstappen shared his thoughts during the unveiling: “It does look a bit different. I think the team definitely pushed on quite a bit from last year and I think that’s very positive.
“I’m just looking forward to get to Bahrain, start testing and really see what the car is capable of.”
Verstappen experienced his initial drive in the new car during a shakedown event at Silverstone this week. Coming before the collective pre-season testing in Bahrain, scheduled for February 21-23, involving all 10 teams.
“Unfortunately it was quite wet so you’re only driving on rain tyres, but everything was working very well and I think that’s always great,” the 26-year-old explained. “You drive out of the box and there are no problems and you just do what you have to do before you get to Bahrain.”
Perez shared his thoughts on the new car, commending the team for their willingness to innovate with a fresh concept in 2024, even after their triumphant performance last season.
“You can see that the team has done an incredible job,” the Mexican commented. “We’ve gone very aggressive with the concept, so I’m looking forward to it.
“I find it great from Red Bull that we’ve had such a dominant car last year, that we just changed completely our concept. It’s something that I think requires a lot of hunger in the team, to keep pushing all the boundaries. [It] will be interesting to see how everything feels on track.”
Christian Horner faces the media
Despite being under an internal probe for alleged “inappropriate behaviour,” Christian Horner attended the unveiling of Red Bull’s 2024 F1 car. As the team gears up for the 2024 season, Horner, the team’s principal, has his leadership role under scrutiny.
Since taking the reins at Red Bull Racing in 2005, Horner confronted the allegations head-on last Friday in central London, meeting with an external barrister leading the inquiry. He vehemently refutes the claims of “inappropriate, controlling behaviour” made by a female staff member.
Amidst the ongoing investigation by Red Bull GmbH, the team’s parent company, Horner, aged 50, was actively involved in a secret filming session at Silverstone on Tuesday, fulfilling his responsibilities as both team principal and CEO, signalling business as usual within the team’s operations.
With all ten teams having launched their cars, fans, teams, and drivers can look forward to the 2024 season opener in Bahrain on March 2, with pre-season testing set to begin a week before leading up to the season’s first race.
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