Mercedes have started recent seasons in sublime form. The German racing team continues to hold the hegemony for the rest of the year. So too in 2020, but Red Bull moved a little closer towards the end of the season. A flying start is what Red Bull needs to make it difficult for Mercedes in the championship.
Flying start for Red Bull Racing
Speaking to The Race, retired F1 engineer Anderson says: "Red Bull couldn’t do what Mercedes did last year but was right to keep developing its car to the end of the season after it showed up in pre-season testing with a package that wasn’t working as expected. By the end of the year, it was as good as a Mercedes, albeit one that hadn’t been upgraded for three months."
Red Bull's long-awaited flying start finally seems to be coming in 2021, according to Anderson. It is precisly because of Red Bull's strong continued development in 2020 that they will be closer than ever to Mercedes' tail this year: "Red Bull will have gained a lot from that work."
Getting into the fight might be possible, but winning the fight will be a different story for Red Bull Racing. "Given the regulations stayed more or less the same from 2020 to ‘21, last year it was able to develop for the current season and the next one in parallel."