How Red Bull cleverly outplayed the competition in 2023

The statistics show just how dominant the Red Bull RB19 of World Champion Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez was: 21 victories, 14 pole positions, five sprint race wins, 30 podium finishes, 860 points and 11 fastest laps.

It is the most successful Formula 1 car of all time, stronger than any effort fielded by the dominant Mercedes team from the previous decade.

It seems correct to ask questions for the future when the RB19’s absolute and relative competitiveness are added up after a season like this.

Red Bull’s form in 2023 was not the result of a constantly improved concept, courtesy of the RB19’s continuous development. It was a triumphant march from the beginning of the season with no real obstacles in its way – Singapore being the exception. So what was so special about the RB19 that the other teams could not match?

Did Red Bull fully exploit the RB19’s potential, or did they just do enough to overcome the competition?

By the winter tests in Bahrain, it was already clear that no one was going to close the gap.

Rather than analysing the characteristics of the car, it seems better to ask whether the Milton Keynes-based team has spared any expenses this season. The aerodynamic and tyre management advantages are clear, and several indications suggest that Red Bull had already shifted its focus to 2024 before the summer.

That was also a fear of the competition. The priorities for 2024 are to improve Red Bull’s marginal weaknesses, regardless of its competitive advantage over the other teams.

In F1, we know very well that it is not very credible, and certainly not plausible, to stop the development of a car during the season, unless you find yourself in two diametrically opposite situations.

By the winter tests in Bahrain, it was already clear that no one was going to close the gap.

Rather than analysing the characteristics of the car, it seems better to ask whether the Milton Keynes-based team has spared any expenses this season. The aerodynamic and tyre management advantages are clear, and several indications suggest that Red Bull had already shifted its focus to 2024 before the summer.

That was also a fear of the competition. The priorities for 2024 are to improve Red Bull’s marginal weaknesses, regardless of its competitive advantage over the other teams.

In F1, we know very well that it is not very credible, and certainly not plausible, to stop the development of a car during the season, unless you find yourself in two diametrically opposite situations.

Why did Red Bull stop developing the RB19?

It’s simply a waste of time and resources to continue development on a car that is clearly “wrongly” designed. If a car is clearly superior to its rivals, stopping development in the short term is justified.

Usually, this is replaced by a series of tests of new parts that should be part of the next project, to make efficient use of time in the current season.

Red Bull followed the second path and developed the car…