After obliterating the competition in 2023, a crack has already shown in Red Bull’s armour ahead of the 2024 Formula 1 season, following reports that their newest car failed a key test.
Red Bull’s 2024 challenger is reported to have failed the frontal crash test last month, meaning their car didn’t absorb enough energy upon impact to be awarded FIA homologation.
Every car on the grid must be awarded FIA homologation, as this is the requirement needed to judge whether it’s safe to drive.
It is a small setback for Red Bull but ultimately not the end of the world, given that they are supposedly taking huge risks with their new car.
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According to Motorsport Italia, the Milton Keynes-based side are pulling out all the stops to try and reach the 798kg minimum weight, which could give them a big advantage come the Bahrain season-opener.
The Austrians are reportedly taking “choices to the extreme” in order to get their 2024 car down to the lightest legal weight possible.
Whilst failing the test is likely to be a small setback, it’s far from the end of the world for the reigning World Champions’.
Red Bull reportedly failed the frontal crash test just a week before pre-season testing in 2022, also according to Motorsport Italia.
In that season, Max Verstappen cruised to his second consecutive Drivers’ Championship, whilst Red Bull won their first Constructors’ Championship since 2013.
Verstappen broke a whole heap of records in 2022, all of which he eclipsed last year in what was the most dominant performance in the history of F1.
Red Bull’s 2023 car – the RB19 – will go down in history as one of the greatest of all-time, given that the side won 21 of the 22 completed races.
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The only way the outfit can improve on their performance from last season, is by winning all 24 races this year.
That’s set to be a tall order, with the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren all expected to make progress.
Nevertheless, Verstappen is still the clear favourite to win the title and become a four-time World Champion, a feat which would see him match Sebastian Vettel and Alain Prost.