SUMMARY
- Red Bull had an unexpected early retirement from Max Verstappen and a non podium finish by Sergio Perez at the Australian GP.
- The team however has brushed off the loss and shifter their focus on the next race at Suzuka circuit.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s 9-winning streak ends at the Australian GP. The Dutch driver retired in the 5th lap due to a mechanical failure. While Sergio Perez failed to get a podium finish, he finished the race in 5th position and secured 10 points for the team.
Helmut Marko has brushed off the loss at the Australian GP. He believes the car was not able to perform due to the track, and the team would come back with a solid performance at the Japanese GP. The team is working on making small changes to the car for the Suzuka circuit.
Red Bull sidepod has similarities to the zero sidepod style by Mercedes
According to reports by Motorsport, Red Bull is making minor changes to the car to fit better to the conditions of the Suzuka circuit. One such major rumored change was the infamous zero sidepod by Mercedes. The zero sidepod was introduced by Mercedes in 2022.
Here’s the Motorsport article btw!https://t.co/X0IRSb8KWZ
ā RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) April 2, 2024
The zero sidepod design helps in increasing the downforce of the car. However, the design was scraped by Mercedes in 2023 after failing to provide promising results. The new design by the Austrian team has gained some interest from the fans due to the identical design of the Mercedes W14.
While the zero sidepod was something Red Bull made changes on for better downforce of the car. However recent reports from FORMU1A.UNO claims that Red Bull has other plans for the car.
Red Bull upgrade for the Japanese GP
While Red Bull failed to perform well in the Australian GP, the team is looking forward to the Suzuka GP. The RB 20 does well in high-speed corners, which can be seen a lot in the Suzuka circuit.
However, the changes regarding the zero sidepod are falls. Instead the team is working on new floor. These changes will help the car to be more aerodynamic and provide better grip and downforce.
šØ https://t.co/bD1EnB1HYk states that Red Bull Racing will not be transitioning to the āzeropodā concept in Japan, but will rather bring a floor upgrade.
Conflicting reports.. Let’s see what Red Bull brings š
[https://t.co/8WCIR8VqTj] https://t.co/eAtY8VKsSN pic.twitter.com/onk9ixiDoT
ā RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) April 2, 2024
While it was refreshing to see someone else take the lead in the race other than Red Bull at the Australian GP. However, after the small hiccup at the Australian GP, the team is expected to come back strong and dominate the track.