Natalie Pinkham has shared some inside information on Red Bull after their ominous start to the 2024 F1 season.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen has led home Sergio Perez for a one-two finish at each of the first two races.
And speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, Pinkham shared one of the details behind their success.
The team are trying to live up to the benchmark set by the RB19, the most dominant car in F1 history.
The Bulls won 22 out of 23 races last season, with Carlos Sainz (Singapore) the only other driver to taste victory.
And they look like they could produce another dominant campaign after Verstappen finished nearly 19 seconds clear of his nearest non-Red Bull challenger Charles Leclerc in Saudi Arabia.
Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas says their gap to the rest of the field looks ‘concerning’ at this point.
Natalie Pinkham ‘reassured’ about 2024 Red Bull F1 car
Sky Sports F1 journalist and presenter Pinkham has learned that, contrary to what some have suggested, Red Bull have only made small changes from last year.
Speaking before the season began, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella expressed surprise at a series of ‘brave’ alterations from the RB19.
However, while the car may not look all that similar to the naked eye, it is in fact simply an ‘evolution’ of what came before.
Pinkham says she’s ‘reassured’ that the team haven’t abandoned a winning formula.
She said: “I’m hearing that the architecture of the car isn’t that different.
“In layman’s terms, it looks it. It certainly looks like a marked shift.
“But in fact, it is more of an evolution. Therefore, I’m not surprised, I’m pleasantly reassured that they’re just doing what they’ve always done and they won’t stop.
“They won’t sit back and relax, or ever take it for granted.”
Will Red Bull win every race in 2024?
There may be some at Red Bull who are dreaming of going one better than 2023 and completing an unprecedented clean sweep this year.
Verstappen predicted prior to the first race that he would only win half of this year’s Grands Prix, but that is already looking like a conservative estimate.
Ferrari, who have been closest to Red Bull in performance thus far, have expressed some optimism about their chances.
Team principal Fred Vasseur is confident they will compete for multiple victories in 2024.
Meanwhile, Leclerc expects to put the pacesetters under ‘pressure’ if the team continue on their current course.
Ferrari will also be aware, though, that the Red Bull won’t stand still themselves.
Director Helmut Marko has already delivered a worrying response when asked about a potential upgrade package for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in May.
Before that, Verstappen and co. will look to make it three from three in Australia this weekend.
The post ‘Pleasantly reassured’: Natalie Pinkham shares what she’s ‘hearing’ about Red Bull’s 2024 car design appeared first on F1 Oversteer.