'Red Bull don't just want to win, they want to crush everyone'

Friend and foe alike seem to agree that Red Bull Racing is the team to beat again this season. If that is indeed the case, the Austrians will do so with a car that has been tweaked in essential respects, while mainly an evolution of the RB19 was expected. Surprising to many, yet not to Daniel Ricciardo.

Immediately the Australian - turning out for VCARB this season - starts laughing, when asked how remarkable it is that Red Bull is providing such a successful car until a complete overhaul? "I feel it's a team that operates at its best when they're winning," he told GPblog among others. "And I feel like when they're winning, they have such, it's like they want to just completely like crush the competition.'."

"It's not like, "okay, now we're winning, let's go on holiday". It's like, let's really put our feet down. And yeah, that's where I think they've come out this year. And, you know, most dominant season in ‘23, and now they come out with a car that I think had everyone like, “wow”, I feel like they've had the most kind of updates than anyone. So that's really saying something."

Ricciardo admires Red Bull and Newey

Ricciardo says he enjoys watching designer Adrian Newey walk around the Red Bull, seeing what masterpiece he has created next. "It's pretty cool to see just as a whether I'm part of the family or not, just as a fan to see that kind of relentless approach and response to such a strong year. It's like you have to, in a way, admire it. I know, obviously, for fans watching on the couch, they're like, “man, I want someone to challenge Red Bull this year”, but you have to admire their approach."