Max Verstappen’s Dominance’s Reason Revealed as Adrian Newey’s Genius Put Under the Spotlight

Max Verstappen did it again at Jeddah, winning his 9th race in a row. He has drawn closer to his record of 10 consecutive victories. Many believe that this is mainly due to the performance of the RB20, as Adrian Newey‘s engineering masterstroke has built a bull that cannot be tamed. Although Verstappen is one of the quickest drivers the sport has seen, the CTO’s engineering has refined the RB19 to fine-tune the car. The result? The annihilation we are witnessing on the track.

As he nears his 10th consecutive win, which he will be targeting at the Australian Grand Prix, the teams are still scratching their heads to get the kind of performance Verstappen displays with the RB20. However, what is the secret of the car that will possibly help Max Verstappen break his winning streak record?

Red Bulls RB20’s secret revealed

Red Bull Racing’s approach to cooling played a huge role in enhancing the top speed of the RB20 during the race in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. While the car initially lagged behind competitors like Haas in terms of speed, it managed to strike a balance between straight-line speed and cornering performance.

Traditionally, teams adjust their wing levels to find the optimal balance between downforce and drag. However, Red Bull took a unique approach by focusing on bodywork changes to reduce the car’s cooling output. Tightening or closing bodywork reduces drag, thereby increasing top speed.

The RB20 features various cooling mechanisms, including a conventional air-box arrangement, slender side pod inlets, and snorkel-like intakes beside the rear legs of the halo. Red Bull cleverly designed the car to allow for diverse heat rejection options, such as louvered panels on the engine cover that can be closed to reduce drag. But this was not the only thing that they have changed from the RB19.

Red Bull’s downforce improvements

In order to increase the downforce of the RB20, the team adjusted the rear wing configuration to decrease downforce and drag. The spoon-shaped main plane was modified to raise the central section, reducing the space taken up within the allowable box region and resulting in a less severe taper towards the endplate.​ Trimming the upper flap and tip sections helped maintain a sufficient boost in top speed when the Drag Reduction System (DRS) was employed.

Additionally, Red Bull introduced a new beam wing configuration aimed at further reducing the load being generated. Both the upper and lower elements of the beam wing had a reduction in chord across their span, with the upper element notably shorter and more offloaded at the tip compared to the previous specification.

Red Bull Racing’s attention to cooling and aerodynamic adjustments allowed them to optimize the RB20’s performance. Hence enhancing its top speed on the demanding track in Jeddah. Now with the Red Bull’s secret out in the open, will other teams implement similar improvements to their cars? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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