Red Bull react to ‘radical update’ for Verstappen F1 title challenge

Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache has denied Red Bull is set to bring a “radical upgrade” to the RB21 at pre-season testing.

The Milton Keynes-based squad enters the upcoming year seeking a fifth consecutive drivers' championship while also looking to return to the top of the constructors' standings.

However, it has been pointed out that the new car greatly resembles the RB20 from last year which presented difficulties to Red Bull as it upgraded it throughout the year.

A report from German media has suggested Red Bull has a sizeable upgrade in the works which could be unveiled on the final day of pre-season testing.

However, Wache has played down the significance of the new parts that are yet to be fitted to the car.

“No, it will not be radically different,” he told PlanetF1.com

“We will evaluate parts. It’s true that, based on the calendar and everything, but I think everybody’s doing the same.

“Nothing has changed compared to previous years.

“You have your baseline car, and you try to have some stuff from the full system of development to come to the track as soon as possible and, based on the capacity of manufacturing the part and everything. you try to evaluate before race one.

“I think we have some new parts coming for day three, but it is not massively different.”

Wache addresses development concerns

F1 is heading into its fourth season under the current set of technical regulations, the last ahead of a major rules switch-up next year.

The title fight is being tipped to be a tight affair this year with the field closing up in 2024 as development gains become increasingly trickier.

When asked how much pace there is left to find with the current generation of car, Wache replied: “I don’t know the ceiling.

“I know that it is difficult to find performance. It’s very difficult if you stay in the regulation box. It’s the nature of the regulation, every type of regulation, that after two or three years, you start to be more on the plateau and it’s more difficult in the real world and developments start to be less and, after that, it’s based on risk.

“Us, I’m not sure we are at the ceiling. We can find more potential, maybe… it’s more where you find it.

“If it’s not usable by the driver, it’s a big issue. What we can find in terms of performance, and maybe not the ceiling, is how we can develop the car so that the driver can.”