Red Bull: Car carry-over can help break poor start cycle
Red Bull believes frozen Formula 1 car regulations heading into 2021 can help it kick off next year as strong as it finished this season.
The Milton Keynes-based team has a tradition of ending campaigns robustly thanks to a rapid development push, but then it struggles to carry that momentum forward.
Max Verstappen's dominant victory in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after a difficult start to 2020 appears to show history repeating itself, but the team believes it can break the cycle this time and kick off 2021 in style.
It thinks that with teams forced to use the same basic chassis next season, that it can actually build momentum with its F1 challenger.
Team boss Christian Horner said: "I certainly hope so, because it's not a start from scratch again.
"Obviously a large percentage of the car does carry over, so where we start in Barcelona [testing] in a couple of months' time, is going to be pretty much where we finish here with the relevant upgrades on it.
"It's the first time in F1's history [that this has happened], and it is why we called the new car, 16B, as opposed to 17, because there's so much of it that is carry over. Probably about 60 percent of the car is carry over."
Horner's optimism about building on its current form comes amid a push from Max Verstappen for Red Bull to ensure it does not waste the opportunity of the winter to improve its car and engine.
"We know we have to work hard over the winter to be better and stronger because you can't just rely on this result," said the Dutchman.
"We know that we still have to improve the car a lot and we know it's some areas where we have to really work on, and that's not only on the car but also power-wise – we need more.
"I hope we learn from the last few years. It's not like we do it on purpose but we will definitely go into the winter with a good feeling."
Horner also reckoned that the win at the Yas Marina circuit was not just down to car progress, as he hailed the solid job that Verstappen had done.
"I think Max has been absolutely clinical this weekend," he said. "He did a great job to deliver the pole lap and then after getting a good start, he was just in control of the race from start to finish. He did an unbelievable job."
Related video
Ricciardo reveals he's had Bathurst talks
What Ferrari's new rake tells us about its 2021 F1 car
The key aspects of Porsche and Audi's planned F1 entries
The VW Group’s German superpowers of sportscar racing have all but confirmed they are coming to F1 when the next set of engine rules come into force in 2026. Here's why both manufacturers are all set to take the plunge, and crucially how it might work
How Vegas went from byword for F1 indifference to grand Liberty coup
Holding a race in Las Vegas – party central, a city of dreams and decadence and, yes, more than a smattering of tackiness – has been on Liberty Media’s most-wanted list since it acquired Formula 1’s commercial rights. But, as LUKE SMITH explains, F1 has been here before and the relationship didn’t work out
Why de Vries' FP1 outing could add a new path to his current crossroads
A Formula 2 and Formula E champion, Nyck de Vries is currently considering where his future in motorsport lies. Continuing in WEC and Formula E is possible and he's also courted glances Stateside after impressing in an IndyCar test. But ahead of his Formula 1 FP1 debut with Williams, he could have another option if he impresses...
Why Leclerc's crash shouldn't put off F1 drivers tasting history
OPINION: For a demo run ahead of Monaco's Historique Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was blessed with the opportunity to drive Niki Lauda's former Ferrari 312B3 - but a brake failure at Rascasse suggested Leclerc's Monaco hoodoo transcended contemporary F1. Although an awkward incident, Leclerc deserves credit for embracing F1's history.
Why the lack of "needle" between Red Bull and Ferrari is a mirage
OPINION: The fight for the 2022 Formula 1 world titles between Red Bull and Ferrari so far features little of the public animosity that developed between the former and Mercedes last year. But that isn’t to say things are full on friendly or won’t get much worse very quickly…
The underdog F1 squad that thrust Senna into the limelight
The Toleman TG184 was the car that could, according to legend, have given Ayrton Senna his first F1 win but for Alain Prost and Jacky Ickx at Monaco in 1984. That could be stretching the boundaries of the truth a little, but as STUART CODLING explains, the team's greatest legacy was in giving the Brazilian prodigy passed over by bigger outfits an opportunity
Why Aston Martin is unlikely to repeat Jaguar’s F1 mistakes
Two famous manufacturer teams born out of humble midfield origins, splashing the cash while attempting to rise to the top of F1 in record time. There are clear parallels between Lawrence Stroll’s Aston Martin and the doomed Jaguar Racing project of 22 years ago, but Mark Gallagher believes struggling Aston can avoid a similar fate.
How rejuvenated Haas recovered its F1 mojo
US-owned but until recently Russian-backed, Haas seems to have reached a turning point in car performance after three gruesome seasons. And it needs to if it’s to attract fresh investment. Team boss Gunther Steiner tells Oleg Karpov how close Haas came to the abyss.