David Coulthard has disclosed that Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez conveyed to him that there were ‘no surprises’ with the RB20 during Red Bull’s shakedown session at Silverstone.
The reigning world champions have implemented some significant changes to their World Championship-winning car ahead of the 2024 season.
Red Bull exerted dominance throughout the 2023 campaign, clinching victory in 21 out of a possible 22 Grands Prix as Verstappen secured a third successive Drivers’ Championship crown.
Consequently, as car launch season approached, few anticipated the Milton Keynes-based outfit to unveil major alterations to their design.
READ: Red Bull divided over Christian Horner’s punishment
However, upon the unveiling of the RB20 last Thursday, the new car appeared to draw inspiration from the past two Mercedes challengers.
Adrian Newey’s latest creation showcased sidepod inlets and engine cooling gulleys reminiscent of the W14.
In an interview with F1.com regarding Verstappen and Perez’s feedback from the session, Coulthard elaborated: “Just that it functions as you would expect in those conditions – no surprises.”
“I think the technical team were content with the numbers they were obtaining in terms of… the things you can extract from that, the cooling and load sensors.
Even if you went out and thought the car was remarkable in a shakedown, the only thing that matters is Saturday qualifying and ultimately Sunday race [at the first round] in Bahrain.
“It’s a launch iteration… there will be upgrades coming to the test up until the last day and there might even be an upgrade that comes for the Friday of the Bahrain race, and all of these upgrades are anticipated to alter performance, balance and lap time.”
Despite the apparent progress made by Red Bull over the winter, Coulthard remains cautious of the threats posed by some of the team’s rivals in 2024.
READ: George Russell will replace Lewis Hamilton
“I don’t have a crystal ball, but you’ve got to believe Ferrari had a strong car last year in terms of single-lap pace,” he continued.
“If they’ve managed to improve on whatever it was that was making their race pace difficult then they are a real contender.
“Mercedes were making big strides at the end of the year… McLaren, again, back of the grid in Bahrain, pretty much at the front of the grid in Abu Dhabi, so huge growth during the course of the year.”