Did Red Bull get complacent? 'In 2023 we were so good it got easy'
Red Bull Contentpool
F1 News
- Cas van de Kleut
Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing have enjoyed a dominant streak in recent years, but 2024 presented a very different challenge. The team struggled to continue developing their car while rival teams significantly improved their machines. Ed Hemsworth, Red Bull's Race Team Coordinator, discussed the challenges of the tough season in an interview with Motorsport.
Red Bull had to adjust to a new reality in 2024 as they found themselves outperformed by rival teams. While Red Bull struggled to resolve balance issues with their RB20, McLaren—and Ferrari unlocked significant performance improvements, putting them ahead in the competition.
'It got a bit easy for Red Bull in 2023'
Consequently, Hemsworth said the 2024 season ended up as a much harder one than the previous constructors championship-winning years of 2022 and 2023. The past few seasons have been defined by Red Bull’s dominance, but 2024 brought new challenges. “It was a lot more difficult. Even towards the end of the season, when we’d normally [continue with the same setup], we were doing more every week to try and keep the competitive edge.
“In 2023 we were so good that it got a bit easy. The car was inherently quick everywhere we went — we rolled it out the door on Friday morning and we’d be 20 seconds up the road. Now we're fighting every week, but it’s good for everyone because the [competition] is what keeps us all here.”
Red Bull finished third in the 2024 constructors championship, behind Ferrari and McLaren, respectively. There are new beginnings in 2025 as Sergio Perez has been replaced by young Kiwi Liam Lawson. Red Bull and Hemsworth will be hoping that the final year before the huge '26 regulation change turns into a successful one.
This article was written in collaboration with Toby Nixon
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