Red Bull Racing (RB) concluded last season with a strong finish, deploying a series of floor upgrades, yet fell short in their bid to surpass Williams for seventh place in the championship standings.
Reflecting on the recent winter test at Sakhir, Williams driver Alex Albon and other observers have expressed caution regarding the progress made by the former AlphaTauri team. Albon highlighted RB’s significant strides towards the end of the previous season, attributing their improvement to closer collaboration with Red Bull.
“RB has been making noticeable strides, especially towards the latter part of last year, and their collaboration with Red Bull seems to be bearing fruit,” Albon remarked. “While they’ve undoubtedly made impressive gains, we still need to see how much further they can push. Nonetheless, they’re likely to be among the top contenders in the midfield.”
Albon’s observations align with the long-run data from the winter test, suggesting that RB could emerge ahead of the bottom teams from the 2023 season and closer to the leading midfield pack.
When questioned about RB’s potential for further improvement, Daniel Ricciardo tempered expectations, emphasizing that the gap to the front-runners is still significant. Despite the team’s efforts and the upgrades introduced in the VCARB01, driven by Ricciardo and teammate Yuki Tsunoda, the Australian driver remained cautious.
“While testing provides some insights, the true performance level remains uncertain,” Ricciardo stated. “We have a rough idea of where we stand relative to the leaders, but there are still uncertainties. Our goal is to secure a spot in Q3 and score points, but it’s too early to make definitive predictions.”
Addressing the buzz surrounding RB’s enhanced collaboration with Red Bull and the adoption of components from the RB19, Ricciardo urged for patience, suggesting that actual race results will provide a clearer picture.
“Speculations about our performance level are natural, but I believe people will have a better understanding once we hit the track,” Ricciardo remarked. “While there are certain components shared with Red Bull, it’s essential to manage expectations. Let’s wait and see how we perform in the upcoming races before drawing conclusions.”
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