Helmut Marko shares the advantage Red Bull's RB20 expects to have over the F1 field

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko recently spoke about the time advantage RB20 could have over the rest of the F1 grid.

Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport after the first day of pre-season testing, Marko stated that Red Bull estimates a 3/10ths of a second advantage over the rest of the pack.

Max Verstappen topped the timing sheets on day one and was 1.14 seconds faster than second-placed Lando Norris. However, Helmut Marko reckons the actual gap is smaller.

"We estimate the actual lead at three-tenths. The [1.14s] lead is not as big as it looks. We were the only ones who went on the track in the cool evening hours with fresh medium tires. This explains the big jump we made in the afternoon," said Marko.

In 2023, Max Verstappen was much closer to the pack on day one of pre-season testing. He was only 0.029 seconds ahead of second-placed Fernando Alonso.

The lap times recorded during pre-season testing do not determine the actual pace of the car. Nonetheless, Verstappen topped both the morning and evening timing sheets on the first day of 2024 testing.

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Max Verstappen praises Red Bull's bold development approach for RB20

Max Verstappen lauded Red Bull's innovative and aggressive development approach for RB20.

Speaking to Sky Sports during the car launch event, the Dutchman expressed his happiness with the approach to develop a new car with major changes.

"I do like what the team has done." said Verstappen "It is not a conservative car, it is not like, 'Last year was a great car, we will just add a few bits and will try to make it a little bit faster'. I do think they have been quite bold and that's what I like, they have been quite aggressive."

Red Bull came up with a unique side pod design, with one horizontal and thin vertical cooling vents. It is one of the most discussed parts of the new RB20.