“Some Things We Don’t Know”: Max Verstappen & Co’s Other Weapons Still Tipped to Be a Secret as Lethal DRS Diverts Attention

Love them or hate them, but you can’t ignore the Red Bulls. After a decade under Mercedes supremacy, not only did they rise to the top, but they did it in a dominant fashion. While other teams have tumbled and fallen with the introduction of new technical regulations in 2022, only Red Bull has maintained its poise. As a result, Red Bull dominated the season while leaving everyone else to wonder ‘How?’

Fast forward to the 2023 season, the Red Bulls came back even stronger, and this time, they are far ahead of the rest. While other teams’ optimism turned into disappointment in the pre-season testing, it was only Red Bull that moved with lightning speed. Enter the first race, Red Bull drivers breezed past any car while knocking out staggering lap times. So, eventually, their breathtaking straight-line speed when DRS is activated got everybody talking in Formula 1.

However, Alpine technical director Matt Harman believes that Red Bull’s excellent DRS is only part of their advantage. According to him, there’s more to their impressive speed. So, Harman said and as quoted by Motorsport.com: “There are probably some things we don’t know about because there are things we have that they don’t. But it’s impressive that they can make the car perform like this. That is certainly an inspiration for all of us. So we’re all going that way.”

“It’s about how everything interacts with your floor, your rear wing, and different parts of the car. The platform, the link between aerodynamics and how the car sits on the tarmac, is important. Red Bull knows exactly where their car is and how they want to park it. And that becomes increasingly important as regulations evolve.”

Read More: Christian Horner Accused of Copying Toto Wolff’s “Arrogance” as Red Bull’s Dominance Triggers a Bold Statement

While everyone is scratching their heads thinking ‘How’s Red Bull so fast’, Red Bull principal Christian Horner admitted that even he’s surprised with the results. 

‘where are the others’: Christian Horner on one thing that caught him by surprise

As reigning world champions, Red Bull Racing without a doubt started the 2023 Formula 1 season with a huge target on their back. And they delivered. They dominated the start of the 2023 championship, with all five race wins and four one-twos. However, no other team was able to challenge the Red Bull drivers to stand on the top step of the podium. 

Even in the Miami GP, Max Verstappen was able to scythe his way through the field and emerge victorious despite starting P9, while Perez followed him home in second. The duo finished more than 26 seconds clear of third-placed Fernando Alonso, while Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz were more than 33 and 42 seconds back, respectively. This led to Red Bull team principal Christian Horner questioning what had happened to their expected title challengers.

“Five races, five wins plus the sprint, and four one-two finishes – we’ve never had a start like this and we’re kind of wondering ‘where are the others? We’ve made a normal step, we think, over the winter, and it’s more where did Ferrari and Mercedes go?” Horner told Sky Sports.

He further added: “I’m sure they’re working on big upgrades for Europe and with the penalty we have to develop the car later in the year, it’s important we have to get as much fresh air between ourselves and the opposition at this stage.”

Both their rivals, Mercedes and Ferrari, are planning upgrade packages for the next round in Imola. Will they be effective enough is something yet to be seen. 

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How long do you think Red Bull’s domination will continue? Let us know in the comments section below.