Red Bull Racing have been caught by the chasing Formula One pack, with Mercedes winning the last two races and Verstappen having been victorious in just three of the last six. The RB20 lost its air of invincibility in Monaco this year as the suspension could not ride the kerbs properly costing the drivers significant amounts of lap time.

Then in Austria as Verstappen and Norris battled for the lead, a coming together at turn three for which Max was penalised, caused the quicker McLaren to retire, while Verstappen limped home in P5.

Having a weekend off before this week’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Red Bull have been focused on bringing their biggest upgrade of the year to the RB20, according to Dr. Marko speaking to Kleine Zeitung publications.

 

 

 

Season defining upgrade

“We want to see improvements on the stopwatch and not just in theory in the wind tunnel. It’s about our car finding its balance more quickly,” said the 81 year old Austrian.

Max Verstappen suggests the news could be grave for Red Bull if the upgrades don’t meet expectations: “If this is not giving us some good lap time, then I don’t know how the rest of the season is going to evolve,” said the reigning world champion on Thursday.

“But at the same time, I also don’t know what’s coming from the other teams, right? So we just focus on ourselves.

“We are bringing quite some things to the car. It is a bit bigger than what we have brought already. And of course, I hope that will give us a bit of lap time.”

Ex-Ferrari boss doubts Hamilton title

 

 

 

Max critical of RBR development

While Red Bull are pinning their hopes on this significant upgrade, Verstappen cautions against expectations of a return to his early season dominance.

“Over the last few races we have not had the quickest car,” he added. “So, I don’t expect that to suddenly be any different. Hopefully, the upgrades will give us a good boost, but at the moment I just want to see how that will all work this weekend.”

Max has been critical of Red Bull’s in season development compared to the likes of McLaren and Mercedes. Yet the world champion acknowledges the handicap restrictions which are in place to limit wind tunnel and CFD design time for the most successful team have been taking their toll on Red Bull’s development programme.

If you look at it realistically other teams have made bigger steps, that’s very clear,” he explained. “I know that my team is pushing as hard as they can to find performance. These cars are just very complicated and some bits might be also just in the set-up itself.

Aston Martin boss admits to a Lance Stroll “Plan B”

 

 

 

FIA wind tunnel ‘handicap’

“At the same time, we need to find more performance. As the leading team you have less time, also in the wind tunnel [but] I’m not using that as an excuse, because I don’t want to think like that.

“But the reality is that we have less time and we try to do the best we can.”

This is the fifth upgrade of the RB20 this year but by far the most significant and the Friday practice sessions will reveal whether the car is easier to drive for Sergio Perez.

Checo will be under intense scrutiny this weekend since the news was leaked the Mexican has this race in Hungary and next weekend in Belgium will define the direction of his contract review set to take place during the summer break.

Red Bull politics affects imminent driver decision

 

 

 

Verstappen defends Checo

His team mate attempted to reduce the pressure on Perez, insisting of his recent struggles “it’s “not fair to say it’s all his fault,” said Max. “It was difficult for me as well to get everything out of the car last weekend and the team knows that too,” he insisted. “We need to find a better working window.”

Max now concedes he believes the debate over the quickest car is obvious. He believes both Mercedes and McLaren in recent weekends have had the edge over his RB20.

“The question is not how close McLaren and Mercedes will be to us,” he said. “You have to turn it around and ask ‘How close can we be?’ We didn’t have the fastest car in the last two races and I don’t expect that to suddenly be any different now.

“It’s an important weekend for us, because I don’t know how the rest of the season will turn out if we don’t gain time here. And of course I don’t know what the other teams will have with them here either,” added the world champion.

Russians threaten Haas

 

 

 

Tsunoda says that’s “weird”

Meanwhile speculation remains over imminent Red Bull decisions which could see Liam Lawson given a full time drive after the summer break. The young New Zealander is out of contract with the energy drinks corporation in just two weeks and would be free to discuss his future with a rival team.

Yuki Tsunoda seems a little put out by Marko’s talk of Lawson bring given a drive in the near future. When asked yesterday how he would feel were Lawson to be promoted straight into Red Bull alongside Max, Tsunoda replied: “If they choose Liam, that would be weird.

“But for me at least, I don’t think [it will happen]. For sure Liam did a really good job when he drove in the team, but I think I did more than that. We’ll see how it goes. In the end, they [Red Bull] know how to manage drivers.”

When pushed on whether he deserved the seat alongside Verstappen at Red Bull Racing, Tsunoda replied, “Yeah. I’m feeling ready compared to obviously the last three years to fight against the top few teams in higher positions, even with Max or whatever. But in the end, they [Red Bull] are the ones who are going to decide and it’s not one of those things I can control. So I’m just focusing on what I have to do in the next few races.”

Liam Lawson’s test at Silverstone last week is said to have “underwhelmed” Red Bull unlike Ricciardo’s last season which saw him parachuted into the race car in a matter of days. 

Alpine block Sargeant mid-season replacement

 

 

 

Flawed new F1 power unit says experts

Following the drama that caused the divorce between Renault and Red Bull Racing, the Milton Keynes outfit was facing a future with no power unit supplier at the end of 2018. Ferrari and Mercedes had refused to provide their arch rival but then up stepped Honda themselves having had a tortured time supplying McLaren.

Then in true corporate Honda style, the big wigs back in Japan decided to pull their support for Formula One and once again Red Bull were facing a future without a power unit. This was when the conversation at the energy drinks company to build their own power unit became a reality. Of course Honda then decided to remain in the sport beyond the new power unit regulations in 2026, but the die was cast and Red Bull Powertrains was born.

In parallel to Red Bull’s relationship woes, the FIA were searching for new power unit manufacturers to join Formula One. Porsche appeared to lead the way in the working group and together with Mercedes they pushed for a new F1 power unit based on the V6 turbo hybrids currently in use. As it turned out, Porsche never made it across the line to join the grid but they had won the argument being presented by Red Bull that F1 should return to using V8 internal combustion engines with no hybrid but fully sustainable fuels…. READ MORE