SUMMARY
- The RB19 had a record breaking 21 race wins in the 2023 season.
- RB19 kept most of the components from it's previous car RB18.
The head of the Red Bull team, Christian Horner, revealed some interesting details about the astounding performance of the RB19. Remarkably, nearly 60% of the components used on the RB19 were kept over from its 2022 predecessor, the RB18. This was not how things usually work in Formula 1, where teams typically execute major upgrades in each campaign.
This conscious decision made by the Austrian team to keep the majority of RB18’s parts showed the faith they had in the model from the previous year, even when a lot of teams went with radical alterations and new parts. The RB19 was one of the most successful cars the team had in their history which could instil fear around the grid. Notably, when the RB19 hit the track in 2023, the suspension, chassis, and gearbox all stayed the same.
Red Bull took a daring gamble
Upon finding that the RB19 had captured a record-breaking 21 of 22 races in the 2023 season, Christian Horner professed his initial desire for the vehicle’s success. In an interview with Sky Sports, Horner disclosed that the monstrous car abandoned the other teams’ pattern of persistent changes by incorporating parts from the 2022 season.
Red Bullās Paul Monaghan says the RB20 will be an evolution of the all-dominant RB19 in 2024ā¦
ā¦but admits the team cannot stand still in the development race given the progress of its rivals in 2023 š
Will Red Bull continue to dominate #F1 in 2024? š¤ pic.twitter.com/UziXnwQb3N
ā Autosport (@autosport) November 14, 2023
According to the British team boss, “What it has achieved is quite outstanding. So much of it was carry-over from the RB18. Part of the chassis was carried over, a lot of the suspension was carried over, the gearbox was exactly the same. So probably 60% of the car actually raced last year [2022] as well.”
Horner indicated more promising prospects for the Milton Keynes-based team in his predictions for the 2024 campaign. Early in the season, the team began working on the RB20, enabling them to gain a substantial edge over rivals.
Christian Horner admits 2023 dominance was unexpected
A startling development transpired during the 2023 Formula 1 season when Red Bull’s RB18 beat Mercedes’s struggling W14, the first time the Silver Arrows had struggled to claim victory in a race in 12 years. The Red Bull team head conveyed wonder at Mercedes’ continued use of their zero sidepod car layout, a strategy that had not worked the year before.
“šļø Christian Horner drops a bombshell on Mercedes’ 2023 F1 car choice! š± Surprised they stuck with a ‘failed’ 2022 concept. What’s your take on this bold move? š¤ #F1 #Mercedes #RedBullRacing #ChristianHorner #RacingTalk” pic.twitter.com/xKl7hn8cum
ā Zeroto30 Seconds (@zeroto30s) December 19, 2023
In a recent interview, Horner stated, “We were very surprised to see Mercedes sticking with the concepts that had clearly failed the previous year.” While introspecting their success despite the doubts they faced in the same year, he said, “Certainly, coming out of Bahrain, we felt like, ‘we’ve got a really good package here’. But we didn’t know whether it was circuit-specific ā temperature, conditions, asphalt.”
Teams and drivers are enjoying a well-earned vacation as the 2023 season came to a final stage, preparing for the subsequent year and the season ahead. The Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir is scheduled to host the much-awaited official F1 pre-season testing beginning on February 23.