Red Bull puts focus on 2025 F1 car: 'The RB20 is already at least six months old'

While all Formula 1 teams are busy developing their cars for 2024, they are also already looking ahead. Red Bull Racing has already started developing the RB20 in mid-2023, so the F1 team's focus is already slowly shifting towards the RB21 for next year.

Red Bull already shifting focus to 2025 F1 car

Red Bull were in such a strong position in 2023 that the team led by Christian Horner was able to shift its focus early on to the RB20 for 2024. Even after winning 21 out of 22 races in the previous season, the team seems to have found some weaknesses in the RB19 that it wants to fix in the RB20.

"We are aware that the RB19 had considerable limitations. If we think back to Singapore, weaknesses have certainly emerged. There are areas we want to improve, be it performance at high or low speeds. At the same time, [the car] had clear strong points, which we want to enhance while at the same time trying to address its critical issues," said Head of Performance Engineering, Ben Waterhouse, in conversation with Racecar Engineering.

Red Bull: 'The RB21 is already at least six months old'

Looking ahead to the upcoming F1 seasons, Waterhouse revealed that the Austrian team are already looking beyond 2024. "The RB20 is a car that is at least six months old and we are already starting to move our attention on the RB21, even if the season has not yet started," he says.

By shifting its focus so early on for next season, Red Bull may also have the freedom to do the same ahead of 2026. That is crucial, as that is when the new engine regulations come into effect and another new generation of F1 cars arrives. Moreover, Red Bull will then be running a homebuilt engine through a collaboration between Red Bull Powertrains and Ford. Any extra time the team can spend on the 2026 car is therefore of great importance, although it has to be noted that teams cannot start work on the new car before 2025.