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Former F1 world champion Jenson Button has claimed that Red Bull and Max Verstappen could face a stern challenge from the rest of the grid in the 2024 season.
The former McLaren driver pointed out that despite the Austrian team winning the bulk of the races in the 2023 season, other teams have closed the gap in the second half and have been challenging Red Bull more regularly.
Speaking with Sky Sports, Jenson Button conceded that it would be difficult to catch Verstappen but his teammate Sergio Perez is pretty much for the taking by other teams next year. He said:
“I also just think the sport is even more competitive now. You know, there are so many big teams fighting at the front, and one tiny slip-up and you’re the fourth-best team. So to catch Red Bull is difficult, but they’re getting closer. I mean, Brazil wasn’t a great example, but this second part of the season you’ve seen teams like McLaren, and Mercedes, both fighting very closely with the Red Bulls.
“Max has had that little advantage, but his team-mate hasn’t, so we could be upset next year. This year was an exceptional year for that team, and I don’t feel it will be the same next year, which is what the sport needs. We need a little bit of a mix-up.”
Red Bull chief engineer sheds light on the RB20
Red Bull chief engineer Paul Monaghan, meanwhile, has stressed that the RB20 in 2024 will be an evolution of the current concept and that they will not develop a new car because of the grid closing in.
Speaking with Motorsport.com, Monaghan said:
"It would be wrong of us to just leave it alone because our opposition is getting a bit closer. But the rules are quite tight compared to what we've had in previous years and with previous generations of cars, where we could do a little bit more and move things around.
"It perhaps wouldn't surprise you if I said it [the 2024 car] will be an evolution of the current car, as it would be a bit foolish to throw this concept away.
It will be fascinating to see how far ahead the world champions will be with the RB20 in comparison to their rivals next season. Teams like Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren would be better prepared to fight the Austrian team next year and will look to evolve their current cars and go for better results.
