ed Bull aimed to respond to an F1 season that fell short of expectations. Finishing third in the 2024 Constructors’ Championship, behind McLaren and Ferrari, was far from their goal. This result stemmed from losing the optimal working window of the car, taking around five months to recover. Pierre Waché led a technical group that struggled to respond promptly, with significant efforts made in the wrong direction. We’ve already discussed the car’s various issues and the solutions planned for next year.
One key focus has been modifications to the car’s front end. Specifically, Red Bull introduced a new suspension design that adjusts the anti-dive angle. The goal was to better handle asphalt irregularities by altering the load on the suspension’s elastic components. Changes to the double wishbones and camber angle helped adjust pitch under braking. Collectively, these updates corrected the roll center, which was too close to the center of mass in 2024.
Additionally, Red Bull developed a new aerodynamic structure to improve yaw angles. As we know, an F1 car’s downforce depends on parameters like roll, pitch, and yaw angles, forming what is known as the aerodynamic map. Graphs correlate the load with front and rear ride heights, outlining a perimeter beyond which conditions become problematic. Based on this, Red Bull worked to optimize vertical force distribution for the 2025 car.
The objective was to expand the area where high downforce is produced, maximizing airflow efficiency at greater yaw angles. Compared to last season’s car, the RB21 will feature a more efficient aerodynamic map at lower speeds, while requiring a higher ride height at medium speeds. This design adjustment aims to enhance performance across all driving conditions by altering the car’s baseline ride heights.
F1, Red Bull: Technical Updates to Address RB20’s Weaknesses
In recent months, Red Bull has focused heavily on addressing two weaknesses of the 2024 car compared to Ferrari and, to a lesser extent, McLaren: curb riding and traction. It was no secret that the Ferrari appeared superior in several instances. Curb riding, in particular, refers to how the car handles curbs, a topic analyzed extensively last season, especially given Max Verstappen’s frequent complaints about this aspect.
Achieving good curb riding in F1 is complex, as there is no definitive parameter to measure its quality. Driver feedback remains the most critical factor, as they assess how the car handles bumps and curbs within just a few laps. Red Bull believed Ferrari better accommodated its drivers’ needs, resulting in better curb-handling capabilities.
The aim is for the tires to absorb the impact of curbs while transferring minimal force to the chassis. The car must dampen the initial jolt and avoid harmful oscillations once off the curb. A car that manages curbs well isn’t entirely free of oscillations but can attack curbs more aggressively than its competitors.
Drivers work extensively on this aspect during free practice, testing the limits and providing feedback to engineers to refine the setup. Onboard footage often shows drivers attempting to extend curb usage, only to have the car react unpredictably, causing instability. This behavior depends on two factors: the car’s inherent design and setup adjustments.
Paul Monaghan, mid-season, identified curb riding as a long-term focus for improvement. Red Bull referred to suspension behavior and the internal configuration of components to enhance curb handling. For 2025, the team believes it has found a solution to this problem.
Traction, another critical area, also received significant attention. While not as problematic as curb riding, acceleration phases were inconsistent. In some cases, the RB20’s performance exceeded Ferrari’s SF-24, but maintaining consistent results was challenging. Traction performance largely depends on the operating window, which determines how effectively the car functions.
On the RB20, this operating window was sometimes too broad, while in other cases, the suspension characteristics were excellent. A range that might be excessive for one car could be ideal for another. For Red Bull, the goal was to maximize tire contact with the track throughout the traction phase.
In about a month, during Bahrain testing, we will see if Red Bull has successfully translated these critical concepts from design to reality.
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