As Red Bull searches for answers over their drop in performance, Max Verstappen took part in a secret test at Imola in a two-year-old Red Bull RB18.
The test was part of ongoing work by the team to improve the RB20’s resistance to riding bumps and kerbs at recent races including the Emilia Romagna and Monaco Grands Prix.
Verstappen noted how this was a long-standing weakness that left the team ‘exposed’ after Monaco, while McLaren has emerged as one of the quickest packages after Lando Norris nearly won the Spanish GP.
The team did not go out of its way to publicise the running, but it did give Verstappen an opportunity to directly compare their current machinery to the dominant 2022 so he does not have to rely on memory.
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Max Verstappen explains RB18 Imola test
The current generation of cars are very sensitive to ride height and drivers often experiment with extreme setups in practice sessions.
Verstappen was asked about the test in the driver’s press conference ahead of the Austrian GP, explaining how it enables him to get a better read for their 2024 car.
“We had the tests with the 2022 car, which is allowed now this year, and I just wanted to get my references back because it’s been a while since I drove that car.
“It’s a fun track as well. We had a good day, it was nice and warm. Just refreshing my mind of how that car was was driving compared to this one.”
What are the rules on testing 2022 cars?
The FIA regulations permit what is known as ‘Testing of Previous Cars’ which currently allow chassis made between 2020 and 2022. All of the rivals teams need to be notified and the FIA for it to take place.
Teams regularly use these programmes to give their development or junior drivers a chance to pick up F1 milage, with Mercedes recently testing 17-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli at Imola and Alpine with Jack Doohan at Austria.
The cars must be accurate to their period specification, meaning they will not have any parts for use on their current cars fitted to them. Pirelli’s demo tyres must also be used.
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